1. ESSnet on Consistency Workshop
Gresham Hotel, Dublin,
24th and 25th of April 2012

2. Overview of the UK survey frame.
Overview of the UK survey frame
Andrew Allen , ONS , UK
Dublin 24/25 April 2012

3. Data sources, frequency & thresholds Current & Frozen frames
Introduction
Data sources, frequency & thresholds
Current & Frozen frames
Survey use
Survey feedback

4. Register data source & frequency
VAT
threshold £77,000 (Euro 93,000)
PAYE - employment tax
threshold £8,000 (Euro 9,700)
Company Registrations

5. Primary Sources VAT New registrations received daily
Monthly updates of turnover but some VAT traders report quarterly
PAYE
new registrations received quarterly

6. Company Registrations
Daily extract direct from companies house which contains details of company:-
- registrations
- de-registrations
- name changes
- classification etc

7. Register regularly updated
Conclusion: Register is regularly updated.
Target population –all UK enterprises
But quite a high tax threshold - very small businesses coverage a weakness.
No single identifier or source in UK

8. Register and Survey Universe
Multiple sources and identifiers means matching processes required
Name and address matching software and rules used
Some businesses on the register are excluded from the survey universe until they match to another source
Proving survey used to help matching – 12,000 per year

9. A set of common criteria are used by surveys to ensure consistency.
Survey universe
A set of common criteria are used by surveys to ensure consistency.
Non matched businesses are held in a super universe.
Example – surveys use one criteria. Business Demography uses a wider criteria.

10. Live Register : register births and death updated continually
Frozen /current frame
Live Register : register births and death updated continually
Current variables can be updated each day.
Frozen variables updated only annually.
This solution in place to satisfy both short term and annual survey users

11. Classification , Employment ,Turnover
Frozen variables
Classification , Employment ,Turnover
If new administrative or survey data received , the current variables are updated but frozen left fixed.
Once a year in December - Current to Frozen copy over.

12. Frozen variables are not totally frozen.
Frozen exceptions
Frozen variables are not totally frozen.
Changes to employment of more than 1000, or to the 2 digit classification are made in year.
At this level of change, there is an impact on results. Results may not be credible unless we change.

13. Coordinated Survey Selection
The short –term survey samples are selected at the same time to improve consistency.
Monthly Business Survey , Retail Sales, Construction, Quarterly Business Survey
To avoid businesses being classified in two different places for example.

14. These sample selections are not coordinated.
Annual surveys
These sample selections are not coordinated.
Selections to suit processing timetable and delivery requirements for each survey.
Possible source of inconsistency between annuals. Also with short-term surveys.

15. Priority rules for different surveys Less feedback now
Survey feedback
Priority rules for different surveys
Less feedback now
Feedback in sampled cells leads to bias
Trade off between bias and sending survey questionnaires to incorrect businesses

16. Business Register & Employment Survey
Special case – survey designed to supply local units to the register and to produce annual employment estimates (SBS)
Sample bias problem solved by sampling from different permanent random number start point – independent
Also by modelling the employment auxiliary variable, to move all units onto the same period

17. Any Questions?