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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Tory crime figures 'misleading' | Tory crime figures 'misleading' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling has been accused of misleading the public in his use of crime statistics. | Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling has been accused of misleading the public in his use of crime statistics. |
| The Tories have said data shows a big rise in violent crime during Labour's time in government - but the way the figures were compiled changed in 2002. | The Tories have said data shows a big rise in violent crime during Labour's time in government - but the way the figures were compiled changed in 2002. |
| Now the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority has told Mr Grayling his statements are "likely to damage public trust in official statistics". | Now the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority has told Mr Grayling his statements are "likely to damage public trust in official statistics". |
| Mr Grayling has denied "airbrushing" the statistics to suit his cause. | Mr Grayling has denied "airbrushing" the statistics to suit his cause. |
| He had to defend his position on Wednesday after Conservatives sent the figures to activists in constituencies throughout England and Wales in an effort to demonstrate the government's failure on law and order. | He had to defend his position on Wednesday after Conservatives sent the figures to activists in constituencies throughout England and Wales in an effort to demonstrate the government's failure on law and order. |
| The BBC's home editor Mark Easton said the method of recording violent crime had changed in 2002, making the figures for the periods before and after that date non-comparable. | The BBC's home editor Mark Easton said the method of recording violent crime had changed in 2002, making the figures for the periods before and after that date non-comparable. |
| 'Public trust' | |
| Now Sir Michael Scholar, chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, has written to Mr Grayling saying: "I do not wish to become involved in political controversy, but I must take issue with what you said yesterday about violent crime statistics, which seems to me likely to damage public trust in official statistics." | Now Sir Michael Scholar, chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, has written to Mr Grayling saying: "I do not wish to become involved in political controversy, but I must take issue with what you said yesterday about violent crime statistics, which seems to me likely to damage public trust in official statistics." |
| The BCS suggests there has been a 49% fall in violent crime since 1995 UK Statistics Authority | The BCS suggests there has been a 49% fall in violent crime since 1995 UK Statistics Authority |
| In notes attached to the letter, the statistics authority said it regarded "a comparison, without qualification, of police recorded statistics between the late 1990s and 2008/09 as likely to mislead the public". | In notes attached to the letter, the statistics authority said it regarded "a comparison, without qualification, of police recorded statistics between the late 1990s and 2008/09 as likely to mislead the public". |
| The authority said the British Crime Survey (BCS), an annual questionnaire of 46,000 people, indicated there had been a big fall in violent crime since 1995. | The authority said the British Crime Survey (BCS), an annual questionnaire of 46,000 people, indicated there had been a big fall in violent crime since 1995. |
| It said the BCS was the most reliable way of assessing the trend, because it was "not affected by changes in reporting, police recording and local policing activity, and has been measuring crime in a consistent way since the survey began in 1981". | It said the BCS was the most reliable way of assessing the trend, because it was "not affected by changes in reporting, police recording and local policing activity, and has been measuring crime in a consistent way since the survey began in 1981". |
| But Mr Grayling told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday the BCS was "fundamentally flawed". | But Mr Grayling told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday the BCS was "fundamentally flawed". |
| Mr Grayling's office has yet to respond publicly to Sir Michael's letter, but on Wednesday he acknowledged there had been "changes in the recording methods". | Mr Grayling's office has yet to respond publicly to Sir Michael's letter, but on Wednesday he acknowledged there had been "changes in the recording methods". |
| But he added: "We don't create crime figures. We use the official crime figures published by the Home Office. The Home Office has continued to use the same comparators." | But he added: "We don't create crime figures. We use the official crime figures published by the Home Office. The Home Office has continued to use the same comparators." |
| This is not the first time that the independent statistics body has taken politicians to task for their use and interpretation of crime-related figures. | |
| In 2008, it criticised ministers for releasing what it said was "premature and selective" data about hospital admissions for knife wounds in certain parts of the country. The then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith apologised for the early release. |