Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007

11 Pre-release access

(1) The Code of Practice for Statistics under section 10 may not deal with any matter relating to the granting of pre-release access to official statistics.

(2) The appropriate authority may for the purposes of the Code by order provide for rules and principles relating to the granting of pre-release access to official statistics.

(3) The Code shall apply in relation to any official statistics as if it included any rules and principles provided for in relation to those statistics under subsection (2).

(4) The rules and principles which may be provided for under subsection (2) include rules and principles as to—

(a) the circumstances in which, or descriptions of statistics in relation to which, pre-release access may or may not be granted;

(b) the persons or descriptions of person to whom pre-release access may be granted;

(c) the period, or maximum period, during which pre-release access may be so granted;

(d) the conditions subject to which pre-release access may be so granted.

(5) Those rules and principles may—

(a) make different provision for different cases, and

(b) allow for the exercise of discretion by persons responsible for official statistics.

(6) In this section “appropriate authority” means—

(a) the Minister for the Cabinet Office, except in a case falling within paragraphs (b) to (d);

(b) the Scottish Ministers, in relation to official statistics that are wholly Scottish devolved statistics;

(c) the Welsh Ministers, in relation to official statistics that are wholly Welsh devolved statistics;

(d) the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland, in relation to official statistics that are wholly Northern Ireland devolved statistics.

(7) Before making an order under subsection (2) the appropriate authority must consult—

(a) the other persons referred to in subsection (6)(a) to (d), and

(b) the Board.

(8) In this section “pre-release access”, in relation to official statistics, means access to the statistics in their final form prior to publication.