Clause 18

Part of Statistics and Registration Service Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 5:15 pm on 23 January 2007.

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Photo of John Healey John Healey The Financial Secretary to the Treasury 5:15, 23 January 2007

All the scrutiny to which the Committee is subjecting the Bill is important, and I would not brand it as pedantic in any respect.

I am not sure that the amendment would make a significant difference to the clause, although I would say that it would make it a little less clear, rather than clearer. The intention behind the drafting of this particular point in the clause is to make it clear that, unlike the preceding clauses, it is about statistics that the board produces rather than the statistics produced by other organisations, such as Departments, which the board monitors. I think that the wording in the Bill probably helps to preserve that clarity, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman will not feel it necessary to press the matter to a vote.