Statistics and Registration Service Bill

I want to reassure the noble Earl and all Members of the Committee that while we cannot accept the amendment, we agree with the spirit behind it. I do not have a good record in the Chamber of conveying my enthusiasm for the spirit and intention behind amendments. The Government may well be in favour of them, but we resist them because we think we have already achieved the position. The purposes of the board are statistical, which the Bill makes absolutely clear. The Government fully intend for the board to use all information received only for statistical purposes and only in connection with its functions, other than its statistical service function set out in Clause 20. The Bill achieves this. All the board’s functions as set out in the Bill are considered to be statistical. Regulations made under the clauses in question may authorise disclosure only for the board’s statistical functions even without this amendment, simply because the board has only statistical functions. That is its raison d’être; that is why it has been created; and that is why the amendment is unnecessary. However, I am pleased to welcome the noble Earl, Lord Northesk, on board with the Government’s intention that that should be so.