Chief Economist Directorate
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser (OCEA) Division
E: xxxx.xxxxxx@xxx.xxxx
Kenneth Anderson
Via email
___
Your ref:
Our ref: FOI/17/00640
13 April 2017
REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 (FOISA)
Dear Mr Anderson
Thank you for your request dated 17 March 2017 under the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).
Your request
You asked for:
What is the purpose of the GERS report and what function does it serve in the day to
day running of the Scottish Government?
Is it true the statistics within GERS are estimated? If so, how are they estimated?
If the above is true, can GERS be considered a reliable source of information on
current Scottish finances?
Response to your request
The aim of the
Government Expenditure and Revenues Scotland (GERS) publication is to
enhance public understanding of fiscal issues in Scotland. GERS estimates the contribution
of public sector revenue raised in Scotland towards the goods and services provided for the
benefit of residents of Scotland under the current constitutional arrangements.
GERS is a National Statistics publication, and is produced in response to user demand.
National Statistics status means that it has been independently assessmed by the UK
Statistics Authority and found to be produced to high standards, meets user needs, and to be
methodologically sound and explained well. The content and methodology are regularly
St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG
www.gov.scot
reviewed in conjunction with its users – including the Scottish Economic Statistics
Consultation Group, which brings together users from academia, the media, and the public
sector - to help maintain its relevance and value. Since 2015, GERS has reported separately
on devolved revenue and expenditure, and provided measures of how these are changing as
a result of the Scotland Act 2012 and the Scotland Act 2016.
GERS is based on a mixture of administrative data and estimates. Further information on the
data used to compile GERS are available at the following link:
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/GERS/Methodology Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an
internal review of the response, by writing to the Chief Economist, St Andrews House,
Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG, or emailing
xxxx.xxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxxx. Your review
request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made
within 40 working days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the
review and tell you the result, within 20 working days from the date when we receive your
review request.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the
Scottish Information Commissioner. More detailed information on your appeal rights is
available on the Commissioner’s website at:
http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Unhappywiththeresponse/AppealingtoCommi
ssioner.aspx. Yours sincerely
Iain Pearce
Economic Statistics
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
Scottish Government
St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG
www.gov.scot
