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Minister steps up statistics row Minister 'appalled' by stats body
(40 minutes later)
Immigration Minister Phil Woolas has accused the Office for National Statistics of "playing politics" with population figures.Immigration Minister Phil Woolas has accused the Office for National Statistics of "playing politics" with population figures.
The row centres on figures released by the ONS showing that one in nine British residents were born abroad. He said he was "appalled" at the release of figures showing one in nine British residents were born abroad.
In a letter Mr Woolas describes the decision to release the data as "at best, naive or, at worst, sinister".In a letter Mr Woolas describes the decision to release the data as "at best, naive or, at worst, sinister".
The Tories have accused the government of "bullying" the ONS and trying to "suppress" embarrassing information.The Tories have accused the government of "bullying" the ONS and trying to "suppress" embarrassing information.
But Mr Woolas, in a letter released by the Home Office, said the information on foreign-born residents was neither informative or new. But Mr Woolas, in a letter released by the Home Office, said he tried to block the release of the figures, which he claims are "neither new nor informative".
The ONS figures, published at the same time as figures showing a big fall in the number of East Europeans registering to work in the UK at the end of last year, showed a 290,000 rise in overseas-born UK residents, which reached 6.5 million in the year to June 2008.The ONS figures, published at the same time as figures showing a big fall in the number of East Europeans registering to work in the UK at the end of last year, showed a 290,000 rise in overseas-born UK residents, which reached 6.5 million in the year to June 2008.
They were widely reported in the media and made it on to the front page of two national newspapers.They were widely reported in the media and made it on to the front page of two national newspapers.
'Appalled''Appalled'
But in a letter released by the Home Office, Mr Woolas says the figures resulted in the government being accused of "whipping up anti-foreign sentiment when it is the independent ONS who are playing politics." Mr Woolas says the figures resulted in the government being accused of "whipping up anti-foreign sentiment when it is the independent ONS who are playing politics".
The idea that there are figures that won't be used and abused by people is naive Phil Woolas, immigration minister The idea that there are figures that won't be used and abused by people is naive Phil Woolas, immigration minister class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7906277.stm">East European worker influx slows
In a letter to Sunder Katwala, general secretary of centre-left Fabian Society think-tank, published in full on the Liberal Conspiracy website, the minister says: "Most people believe that it is the government who have released these figures in this way.
"In fact, it was the ONS with no Ministerial involvement and indeed despite my objections.
"What's worse is that the press release which ran to nine pages highlighted the 1 in 9 figure as the main finding.
"So, government gets the blame by some for whipping up anti-foreign sentiment when it is the independent ONS who are playing politics.
"The justification from the ONS who had, out of schedule, highlighted the figure two weeks earlier because it was 'topical' is, at best, naive or, at worst, sinister."
'Naive'
He said the figures included 370,000 undergraduates and about a "quarter of a million" people born to armed forces personnel serving overseas, adding: "Surely the distinction between temporary residence and Indefinite Leave to Remain and full citizenship is more useful in framing a mature debate."
Mr Woolas told BBC News he was "appalled" that the ONS had chosen to publish figures on the ground of "topicality".Mr Woolas told BBC News he was "appalled" that the ONS had chosen to publish figures on the ground of "topicality".
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme
He accused the ONS of trying to "grab headlines" in order to show it was a "newly liberated and independent body."He accused the ONS of trying to "grab headlines" in order to show it was a "newly liberated and independent body."
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Releasing figures outside of the schedule because of the topicality may be interpreted as influencing the political debate.He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Releasing figures outside of the schedule because of the topicality may be interpreted as influencing the political debate.
"This is not a black and white area, the idea that there are figures that won't be used and abused by people is naive and I think the ONS should not release figures because they are topical. They should release them on the schedule.""This is not a black and white area, the idea that there are figures that won't be used and abused by people is naive and I think the ONS should not release figures because they are topical. They should release them on the schedule."
He claimed the figures, which were widely reported in the media, created the impression that one in nine people in the UK were immigrants, which he said was "not the case".He claimed the figures, which were widely reported in the media, created the impression that one in nine people in the UK were immigrants, which he said was "not the case".
"I have been attacked by people in the trade unions for allegedly releasing inflammatory figures... when first of all they are not my figures and second of all I don't believe they are the relevant figures for the immigration debate," he told Today.
'British jobs''British jobs'
He denied he was trying to intimidate the ONS, claiming "the the independence of the ONS is very important" but he said it had to be careful not to "inflame" a sensitive debate. He denied he was trying to intimidate the ONS, claiming "the independence of the ONS is very important" but he said it had to be careful not to "inflame" a sensitive debate.
The government has clashed with the official statistics body, which was granted independence last year in an effort to free it from political influence, on a number of occasions in recent months.The government has clashed with the official statistics body, which was granted independence last year in an effort to free it from political influence, on a number of occasions in recent months.
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme
In February, Sir Michael Scholar, head of the newly-created Statistics Authority, which oversees the work of the ONS, took the unusual step of criticising the government's "premature" and "selective" use of knife crime statistics, which it said had been manipulated for political ends.In February, Sir Michael Scholar, head of the newly-created Statistics Authority, which oversees the work of the ONS, took the unusual step of criticising the government's "premature" and "selective" use of knife crime statistics, which it said had been manipulated for political ends.
The government blamed a Downing Street aide for the release of the figures, which it admitted had been too premature.The government blamed a Downing Street aide for the release of the figures, which it admitted had been too premature.
Also last month, ministers were angered over the ONS's decision to highlight the proportion of foreign migrants getting jobs in the UK.Also last month, ministers were angered over the ONS's decision to highlight the proportion of foreign migrants getting jobs in the UK.
It was suggested privately that this was an attempt to embarrass Gordon Brown at the height of the Lyndsey oil refinery dispute over his call for "British jobs for Brtish workers." It was suggested privately that this was an attempt to embarrass Gordon Brown at the height of the Lyndsey oil refinery dispute over his call for "British jobs for British workers."
Shadow immigration spokesman Damien Green, for the Conservatives, has accused the governemnt of seeking to bully the ONS and suppress embarrassing information. Shadow immigration spokesman Damian Green, for the Conservatives, has accused the government of seeking to bully the ONS and suppress embarrassing information.