Mr David Laws (Yeovil, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of real terms expenditure at the Office for National Statistics in each year from 1996–97 to 2005–06 (planned); and if he will make a statement.

Ms Ruth Kelly (Financial Secretary, HM Treasury; Bolton West, Labour)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. David Laws, dated 22 January 2003

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning real term expenditure at the Office for National Statistics in each year from 1996–97 to 2005–06 (planned). I am replying in his absence. (91701)

The requested information is shown in the attached table.

⁽²⁶⁾ The Office for National Statistics' principal activities are the collection, analysis and dissemination of business, economic, socio-economic, health and population statistics, the production of social surveys, the census of population for England and Wales, maintenance of the National Health Service Central Register and the register of births, deaths and marriages.

⁽²⁷⁾ Figures are in real terms (2002–03 prices). Expenditure is calculated as the total of the resource budget plus the capital budget less depreciation. Figures are actual expenditure to 2001–02 and planned expenditure thereafter.

⁽²⁸⁾ The Office for National Statistics was created as a Government Department and an Executive Agency on 1 April 1996 by merging the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS). During 1996–97, ONS moved most of its London staff from four existing sites to a complex of building at Drummond Gate Pimlico. Most of the cost of refurbishment and fitting out of those buildings fell in 1996–97.

⁽²⁹⁾ Figures from 1998–99 to 2002–03 include additional provision for planning, fieldwork and initial processing of the 2001 Census of Population in England Wales.

⁽³⁰⁾ Figures from 2003–04 include additional provision in the Spending Review 2002 settlement for ONS to invest in a programme of modernisation to improve the quality of official statistics.