Statistics and Registration Service Bill

My Lords, I am sorry to disagree with my noble friend on the Front Bench, but we are debating a group of amendments. I have agreed to put my amendment in the group. I have not been speaking directly on the amendment moved by the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, so I am saving the time of the House. I am only speaking once in this debate, and I have been very helpful to my noble friends. I think that remark was out of order. I am coming fairly near to the conclusions of my remarks. There are enormously important reasons why the ONS needs to regain its reputation for independence. The challenges facing statisticians at present are unprecedented. There is the example of the earnings index. I am still not clear how far that is to do with checking medians versus averages, taking into account City bonuses, equity gains and so on, but there is an issue there. Although the Bank of England ought to look at the mote in its own eye before criticising the ONS, it has said that, "““the relocation programme poses a serious risk to the maintenance of the quality of macro-economic data””." Does my noble friend believe that the Bank’s anxieties have now been laid to rest? If so, can he draw my attention to the chapter and verse where it has said so? Will my noble friend confirm that there has been movement on the two key points that I have put to him? If he meets them in terms, I will not seek to divide the House. I will of course judge that when I have heard his response.