ROUNDTABLE Confidentiality - Disclosure Review John Perry, Claire Powell and Christine Bycroft ONS
Background Confidentiality review requested by National Statistician 4 key areas identified IDBR was the second area in the review programme
IDBR – Data Uses Sampling frame for business surveys within central government Created in 1995 Sourced by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Companies House Dun & Bradstreet ONS Surveys – Mainly Business Register Survey Northern Ireland (DETINI) DTI Construction Defra
Outputs UK Business: Activity Size and Location Neighbourhood Statistics (NeSS) Disclosure issues relating to geographies Region in Figures DTI Small and Medium Enterprise Statistics Business Start-ups and Closures – VAT registrations and de-registrations Eurostat – Statistics in Focus
Other types of access On-line access to IDBR Extracts from the IDBR for statistical purposes Tabulations from the IDBR for research purposes Samples for running business surveys Standard extracts for Local Authorities
Processing requests for data Customer Enquiry Form Confidentiality clause in contract for contractors Microdata Release Panel (MRP) request Microdata Release Unit approval for LA requests Full MRP panel decision for other new requests Data Access Agreement Despatch of data
Legislative framework Value Added Tax (VAT) Act 1994 Finance Act 1969 & 1987 No 2 Statistics of Trade Act 1947 (GB data) Northern Ireland Order 1988 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Employment and Training Act 1973 as amended by the Employment Act 1988 NS Code of Practice Release protocol
Exemptions for other purposes None currently allowed Strong demand from HMRC for linkage & classification DTI for service to industry Labour Force Survey for managing interviews
Protecting Data Current disclosure methods Introducing Tau Argus Rounding & suppression Introducing Tau Argus
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