ONS Needs Independent Governing Board - Cable

12.00.00am GMT Mon 28th Nov 2005

Responding to the Chancellor's announcement that the Office of National Statistics is to be made independent of Government, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable MP said: "This long-overdue announcement is a vital first step on the road to restoring public trust in official statistics.

"For too long the UK has had a less independent framework for National Statistics compared to many western economies

"The devil is likely to be in the detail of this announcement. The issue of appointments to the governing board will be vital. Only truly independent appointments to the board will ensure that trust in official statistics is restored.

"While the Chancellor is in his current mood of independence he should allow the NAO to judge when the economic cycles starts and ends. Rather than simply auditing assumptions the NAO should report progress against the Chancellor's fiscal rules at the time of the Budget and the pre-Budget report."