Britannia Radio

Many of us wondered at the extraordinary idea that knife crime was 
falling when locally we knew this to be untrue.  

It now appears it  WAS untrue and that despite being warned by the head of government  statistics that the figures the governmen proposed to put out were 
'unreliable' they went ahead and published them anyway in order to 
get favourable publicity.

Brown's government is run by shysters!   Proof here!

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BBC ONLINE   12.12.08
In full: Statistics watchdog letter
The full text of the letter from Sir Michael Scholar, chairman of the 
UK Statistics Authority, to Jeremy Heywood, Permanent Secretary at 
the Prime Minister's Office, on the release of knife crime statistics.

Dear Jeremy,
I am writing, as chair of the UK Statistics Authority, to express my 
concern about yesterday's announcement of statistics related to knife 
crime.

It has been reported to me by the National Statistician's Office that 
officials or advisers in No. 10 Downing Street caused the Home Office 
to issue a press release which prematurely published provisional 
statistics for hospital admissions for knife or sharp instrument 
wounding.

This press release said that "the number of teenagers admitted to 
hospital for knife or sharp instrument wounding in nine...police 
force areas fell by 27% according to new figures published today".

These statistics were not due for publication for some time, and had 
not therefore been through the regular process of checking and 
quality assurance.

The statisticians who produced them, together with the National 
Statistician, tried unsuccessfully to prevent their premature, 
irregular and selective release.

I hope you will agree that the publication of prematurely released 
and unchecked statistics is corrosive of public trust in official 
statistics, and incompatible with the high standards which we are all 
seeking to establish.

I would be grateful for your comments, and for your assurance that 
there will be no repetition of this breach of the National Statistics 
Code of Practice.

I am copying this letter to the Cabinet Secretary and to David 
Normington at the Home Office; and, because the UK Statistics 
Authority reports directly to Parliament, to Tony Wright MP, chair of 
the Public Administration Select Committee and to Keith Vaz MP, chair 
of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Yours sincerely

Sir Michael Scholar