Statistics and Registration Service Bill

Indeed, Madam Deputy Speaker. What should we do if we cannot answer questions such as that about the length of time that it takes to get young offenders before the courts, which we raised at the Home Office in the past? On that occasion, the officials had to answer the question about young offenders by saying, ““Dunno””, and statistics did not provide material for the delivery of public policy. We had to spend the first six months identifying how long it took to get young offenders before court in order then to be able to say, ““Right, we now know what it is we are going to halve.”” We delivered that during our first period of Government. That was an enormously important use of intelligent information—of statistics—in order to make a real difference in reoffending and therefore in the quality of life of people, communities and potential victims. I want statistics to be objectively prepared, independently verified and totally objective and dependable for everybody, regardless of whether the individuals using them are in Government, in Opposition, in agencies or local government, are ordinary members of the community, researchers or people involved in policy development—in the third sector, for instance. Therefore, accountability for the residual functions ought to lie with the Department that has the most comprehensive view about value for money in the public sector and the need for objective evidence to be driven by asking the right questions and ensuring that the management is right. If the new board fails, that will be a disaster for public policy, so it is important that the Ministers who are responsible for it do not interfere—I agree with the hon. Lady about that—but that if there is a need to intervene and say, ““Things have gone wrong and need to be put right””, they are Ministers in the Department that is most enthusiastic to make sure that that happens.