Family breakdown statistics by neighbourhood

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Dear Mr. Gulliford

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding data on family breakdown
included as part of the indices of deprivation. We have added the issue
that you have raised to our Issues Log, an updated version will be
published in the next few weeks. The log is a record of issues raised with
the Authority, and it is available online at
http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/re...

I have passed on the points you have raised to the Authority's Monitoring
and Assessment Team who will consider this in more detail.

Kind regards

Ross Young
Head of Communications & Parliamentary Relations
UK Statistics Authority
Statistics House
Myddelton Street
LONDON EC1R 1UW

request-4236-dbeae5f4@whatdot
heyknow.com To: UKSAenquiries@ONS
cc:
18/11/2008 06:30 Subject: Freedom of Information request - Family breakdown statistics by neighbourhood

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please may I refer you to a request in the House of Commons [8th
January 2007, column 26 of Hansard]?

Andrew Selous (South-West Bedfordshire) (Con): Statistics are
collected on only seven of the eight indices of social exclusion
listed by the social exclusion unit. No statistics are collected on
family breakdown. Does the Financial Secretary agree that it would
be tremendously empowering for local practitioners who are trying
to deal with that issue if such data could be collected by local
neighbourhood area? Will he undertake to look into that omission?

John Healey: I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will wish to
elaborate on that point in the debate on social exclusion that will
take place on Thursday. In the context of the Bill, however, the
duty that will be placed on the independent statistics board will
be to assess, comment on and publicly report to the House on the
comprehensiveness and quality of the statistics. The board will
take a view on the adequacy not only of national statistics but of
all official statistics. I am sure that the point that the hon.
Gentleman has made ¡X and which he might develop in Thursday¡¦s
debate ¡X will be taken into account by the statistics board when it
comes to discharge its functions.

[http://www.parliament.the-stationery-off...

I wonder whether the board has taken a view about this omission?

In the Audit Commission report "Hearts and minds: commissioning
from the voluntary sector" the authors recommend:

"Local public bodies should ¡§Improve how they measure value for
money in public services, by shifting the current focus on inputs,
outputs, and unit costs, towards long-term measurement of outcomes
and effectiveness.¡¨

This is entirely consistent with the request of Andrew Selous that
it should be possible to measure changes in domestic and social
cohesion by neighbourhood. It would make it possible to undertake
"long-term measurement of outcomes and effectiveness" of local
authority policies, and of programmes provided by the voluntary
sector.

It would bring consistency to the indices of deprivation which
currently lack one of the main elements listed by the Social
Exclusion Unit as a cause of social exclusion.

Yours faithfully,

Nick Gulliford

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Dear Mr Gulliford,

Thank you for your email of 12 February.

Please accept our apologies for not replying to your earlier email. Whilst
the delay in responding has been unacceptable, it would not be appropriate
to treat your initial email (18 November) as an FOI request as you sought
opinions, rather than discrete documents or pieces of information. Such a
request does not fall within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act,
and therefore it is not appropriate to conduct an Internal Review of this
case.

We have discussed the matter with the Office for National Statistics and
colleagues from the Office for National Statistics will be responding to
the substantive points you raise in the near future. They are aware of your
emails dated 18 November 2008 and 12 February 2009. Copied to Paul Allin
(Office for National Statistics).

Regards,
UK Statistics Authority

For information on the work of the UK Statistics Authority visit:
http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk

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