Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 19 March (HL Deb cols 93–96), what progress, if any, they have made in ensuring that there is automatic provision of accessible flat screen payment devices to hospitality and retail outlets, and specifically tactile covers to ensure these payment systems comply with the Equality Act 2010.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to ensuring high standards of financial inclusion across the financial services sector. It is important that all payment methods are accessible for those with disabilities, including those with visual impairments.

The Treasury has been engaging with UK Finance, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Royal National Institute of Blind People, and other Government departments on this matter. UK Finance will soon be assessing potential initiatives to encourage stakeholders to adopt common standards for point-of-sale terminals and drive improvements and adoption. The Government is closely monitoring progress in this important area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government at what point in September the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for infants and those aged 75 to 80 was made available in the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board area.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programmes for pregnant women to protect newborns and adults aged between 75 and 79 years old began in England on 1 September 2024.

Supplies of RSV vaccines were available for all general practices (GPs) and maternity services in England to order, including those in the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board area, from 1 August 2024, to allow pre-positioning of vaccine stock in the National Health Service in advance of the national programmes going live in September.

The South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board supported the national timelines and promoted the programmes extensively, with GPs and maternity services administering RSV vaccines to eligible groups from the 1 September. While a small number of GPs in Sheffield have experienced delays in starting the RSV programmes, all have now placed supply orders and are offering bookings for those who are eligible to get vaccinated.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of primary care practices in Sheffield did not have availability of the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine by 20 September.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programmes for pregnant women to protect newborns and adults aged between 75 and 79 years old began in England on 1 September 2024.

Supplies of RSV vaccines were available for all general practices (GPs) and maternity services in England to order, including those in the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board area, from 1 August 2024, to allow pre-positioning of vaccine stock in the National Health Service in advance of the national programmes going live in September.

The South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board supported the national timelines and promoted the programmes extensively, with GPs and maternity services administering RSV vaccines to eligible groups from the 1 September. While a small number of GPs in Sheffield have experienced delays in starting the RSV programmes, all have now placed supply orders and are offering bookings for those who are eligible to get vaccinated.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many times since the 2021 Census the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has (1) varied a published official statistic, (2) reverted a statistic to “development stage", and (3) downgraded a forecast; and how often the ONS has published data since April 2021 on (a) quarterly economic growth, and (b) migration statistics.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Blunkett

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

14 October 2024

Dear Lord Blunkett,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many times since the 2021 Census the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has (1) varied a published official statistic, (2) reverted a statistic to “development stage", and (3) downgraded a forecast; and how often the ONS has published data since April 2021 on (a) quarterly economic growth, and (b) migration statistics (HL1172).

Changes or updates to published official statistics are sometimes required for various reasons. We use different terminology depending on the reason for the change or update. These terms are “correction of errors” and “revisions”.

Despite having quality control measures in place, mistakes may be found in our statistics. Correction of errors are amendments that are made to published statistics in response to the identification of mistakes following their initial publication. Since the 2021 Census (21 March 2021), we have published 3,763 statistical releases1 and made 577 corrections; however, the vast majority (553, or 96%) of these corrections were for minor errors which did not materially affect the interpretation or use of the statistics. The table below shows the breakdown by calendar year:

Revisions are updates to previously published statistics that improve quality by incorporating improved methods, additional data sources or statistics that were unavailable at the point of initial publication. Revisions should not be confused with the correction of errors; revisions are not published to correct a mistake. We do not hold the number of revisions made to official statistics in one centralised source, as these are a standard part of our process. Our Revisions and Corrections policies2 expand on the difference in more detail.

Accredited official statistics are a sub-set of official statistics that have been independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation and confirmed as complying with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Official statistics in development are official statistics that are undergoing a development; they may be new or existing statistics, and will be tested with users, in line with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. The designation does not mean that the statistics are of poor quality and even though the statistics are going through development and testing, we are confident that they are useful.

Since 21 March 2021 there have been three instances where accredited official statistics have changed to “official statistics in development”. These are Employment in the UK (14 November 2023, Correspondence3), Gender identity, England and Wales: Census 2021 (12 September 2024, Correspondence4), and Annual Population Survey estimates (9 October 2024, Correspondence5).

We do not hold data on non-accredited official statistics that have become "official statistics in development".

There are also a small number of ONS outputs that have reverted from “accredited official statistics” to “official statistics” status, but these are not “official statistics in development”. In most cases the change in designation is at the request of the producer to signal to users that the statistics no longer comply fully with the standards in the Code of Practice for Statistics. The Office for Statistics Regulation maintains a list6 of all accredited official statistics that have been de-designated.

The ONS does not make forecasts, estimates or predictions about future events or trends.

Since April 2021, the ONS has released the latest data on quarterly economic growth on a quarterly basis in 28 publications of the GDP first quarterly estimate and GDP quarterly national accounts. Over the same period the ONS has published long-term international migration statistics on a bi-annual basis, six times in total. These releases contain revisions to improve the quality and reduce the uncertainty of previously published estimates by using more up to date data, in line with international best practice standards.

The ONS has published a range of further analysis and commentary on both topics, but those publications are based on previously published data first made available via the releases outlined above.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

1Including statistical bulletins, analytical articles, methodology papers and data tables.

2https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/methodologytopicsandstatisticalconcepts/revisions/guidetostatisTicalrevisions

3Exchange of letters between Ed Humpherson (OSR) and Alex Lambert and Darren Morgan (ONS) -

Office for National Statistics

4ONS letter to the OSR on Census 2021 gender identity estimates - Office for National Statistics

5Michael Keoghan to Siobhan Tuohy-Smith: Request to suspend APS accreditation – Office for

Statistics Regulation (statisticsauthority.gov.uk)

6https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/our-regulatory-work/assessment/cancelled-or-suspended-accreditations/

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the process for selecting members of the panel who will assess the candidates for the position of Cabinet Secretary.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The panel will be chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner Baroness Gisela Stuart. The Chair must ensure compliance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The panel is composed of independent members who possess both Civil Service experience and expertise from outside the Civil Service. They are responsible for selecting the most qualified and suitable candidate for the position.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Merron on 15 October (HL1173 and HL1174), how many GP practices and primary care centres in Sheffield have not yet received an allocation of the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board has had confirmation that all primary care practices in Sheffield have now ordered and received at least one delivery of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines.

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