Dr Scott Blinder questioned on migration statistics
24 April 2013
This one-off evidence session is being held on migration statistics, which is one of the topics within the Committee’s wider programme of work on statistics and their use in Government.
- Parliament TV: Migration statistics
- Inquiry: Statistics
- Study 5: Migration statistics
- Transcript: Migration statistics
- Public Administration Select Committee
The purpose of the inquiry: to assess the quality of migration statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics and the Home Office. Are they sufficiently accurate, detailed, meaningful and timely for the purposes to which they are put? The Committee will take evidence from three users of official migration statistics, who can describe the statistics’ current strengths and weaknesses as well as those aspects of the statistics they would like to see improve. The second part of the session will give Committee the opportunity to question the producers of migration statistics, who can talk about recent developments in the production of migration statistics and options for their improvement in future.
Particular issues to be explored may include:
- The quality and accuracy of migration statistics;
- Local area migration statistics;
- Public understanding of migration statistics; and
- Options for improvement of migration statistics, including the impact of e-Borders.
Witnesses
At 9.30am, Wednesday 24 April 2013, Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
- Dr Scott Blinder, Acting Director, The Migration Observatory, University of Oxford
- Councillor Philippa Roe, Leader, Westminster City Council
- Professor John Salt, Co-Director, Migration Research Unit, University College London
At 10.30am, Wednesday 24 April 2013, Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
- Jon Simmons, Deputy Director, Migration and Border Analysis, Home Office
- Dr Chris Kershaw, Programme Director, Migration Statistics Team, Home Office
- Guy Goodwin, Director for Analysis and Dissemination, Office for National Statistics
- Ben Humberstone, Deputy Director, Population Statistics, Office for National Statistics
The Committee wrote to the Chair of the UK Statistics Authority about the Government's net migration target:
- Letter from Bernard Jenkin MP, Chair of PASC, to Sir Andrew Dilnot, Chair of UKSA (PDF)
- Letter from Sir Andrew Dilnot, Chair of UKSA, to Bernard Jenkin MP, Chair of PASC (PDF)