Areas for Discussion following Scotstat Main Board letter of March 2004
The over-arching SCOTSTAT board at its most recent meeting has suggested the following areas for discussion:
Are there cross-cutting issues/activities which could be better considered by a range of Committees, and if so, how do we facilitate this?
The Scottish neighbourhood statistics programme is an example of such an issue because all ScotStat committees will have an interest. The committee may therefore want to think about possible options for overcoming potential cross-cutting issues:
- Should we meet with other committees to discuss these issues;
- or should we have joint committees where members from various committee's are in attendance;
- or would it be best for the chairmen from each group to meet and discuss how to overcome such issues.
Some committees have identified new opportunities for increasing data sharing among members of the committee, partly due to the improved mutual understanding of uses and demands, and partly due to trust. Are there wider opportunities to explore here, such as sharing within other committees, or even sharing between committees?
Currently all member are allowed to request data from the Scottish Executive, do members have any data they wish to share with the Scottish Executive or other members of the group and maybe even to members of other committees?
There has been a suggestion that those who supply data to feed into the generation of statistics are not getting appropriate feedback. Is this something each committee could consider for their area, and recommend new procedures, if appropriate?
Currently the Farm Accounts Scheme (FAS) provides each farmer involved with a report on their individual performance and the agricultural census results are published and made available in the public domain. Does the committee feel this is enough? If not what more do they think we could be doing?
One of the main aims of the new ScotStat arrangements was to encourage more non-Scottish Executive involvement in agenda setting, issue raising and paper writing etc. To what extent do committees feel there is further scope? The benefits of this can only really be realised if there is appropriate involvement of internal customers (e.g. policy) - so it would also be interesting to find out how committees are addressing the balance between internal and external involvement?
The organisation of the committee is Scottish Executive lead at the moment. The members are encouraged to contribute agenda items and some were offered up at the first meeting. It is hoped that committee members will become progressively more involved in agenda setting as the committee becomes more established. Members are also asked to add anything to the agenda once it is circulated. The remit of the agriculture committee has resulted to it being a sounding board for ideas. It is not intended that it is going to be asked to comment on the statutory returns that are sent out; census, farm accounts scheme forms, for example.