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Population Statistics

Answer

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 17 October 2006:"As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about which local authorities have been identified by the Office for National Statistics as being affected by flawed population statistics. (94071)""The local authority population estimates are calculated from a number of different components. The data sources upon which these components are based vary in terms of their reliability. The Office for National Statistics recognises this and acknowledges that the most difficult to measure component is migration. ONS therefore accepts that LAs with a rapidly changing population structure will be more difficult to measure. Nevertheless, the mid-year population estimates are the best available and are as accurate as possible given the limitations of current sources.""In September 2004 ONS revised the population estimates of 15 local authorities, which were identified as being the hardest to count areas in the 2001 Census. These were: Westminster, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle, Derby, Hartlepool, Middlesborough, Stockton-on-Tees, Kingston upon Hull, Milton Keynes, Sunderland, Wandsworth, Wirral, and Southwark. Details of the LA Studies report can be found here:""http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/LAStudy_FullReport.pdf""There is no conclusive evidence available to suggest that any other LAs have been either under or overestimated. ONS is however continuing to invest resources into researching alternative sources and methodologies and has set up the Improving Migration and Population Statistics Project, details of which can be found here:""http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/data/methodology/specific/population/future/imps/default.asp"

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

450 c1105-6W;450 c1111-2W; 94071

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Population Statistics

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk