Clause 7
Statistics and Registration Service Bill
2:15 pm
Mark Hoban (Shadow Minister, Treasury; Fareham, Conservative)
I have a straightforward question for the Minister about whether the numbering in clause 7(1) is correct. The clause sets out the objective of the board:
“In the exercise of its functions under sections 8 to 19 the Board is to have the objective of reporting and safeguarding”
what are then referred to specifically as “official statistics”. However, when I look at clauses 8 to 19, clauses 8 and 9 apply to official statistics, as does clause 11 on pre-release access, but clauses 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 refer specifically to “national statistics”, not “official statistics”.
I am concerned that someone reading clause 7 casually might assume that the reference applied to national statistics and was not limited to official statistics. I wonder whether the drafting should have been
“sections 8, 9, 10 and 12”
instead of “sections 8 to 19”.