Stats NZ seeks public views on new law enabling wider collection of data

Thursday 27th September 2018

Stats NZ, the country's official data agency, has released a public discussion document seeking views on an update to its 1975 governing law, which Statistics Minister James Shaw notes is no longer fit for purpose.

"Legislation dating from the 1970s is not fit for today’s purpose," Shaw said in his foreword to the 46-page document published online. "Mass computer access, the internet and social media have all arrived in the years since the Statistics Act was passed. Data and statistics legislation must address the challenges that come with more data being collected, managed, and used."

The consultation comes as Stats NZ turns its focus from being an agency that primarily produces official statistics for government and economists to becoming a broader data agency that collects and shares information on a wide range of subjects.

Stats NZ is seeking the power to require government agencies, other public authorities, businesses, and other organisations to provide it with administrative data, which has been collected for administrative purposes such as registration, service delivery, transactions, and record keeping.

"The Statistics Act is silent on the collection of administrative data, despite it being used to produce official statistics for over 100 years," the discussion document says.

It describes administrative data as information collected as part of the day-to-day activities of government agencies, including benefit data, ACC injury claims, driver licenses and motor vehicle registers, or by businesses including banking of eftpos transactions or insurance claims, or by community organisations delivery services.

"The primary purpose for which administrative data is collected and the frequency of collection mean that it can often be more accurate and timely than survey data," it says.

"Stats NZ relies on voluntarily provided administrative data," it says. "If data isn’t provided voluntarily, the government statistician must then collect the data via a survey. This takes longer and costs more for both government and suppliers. It also risks the continuous and timely supply of data.

"Being clearer about the requirement to provide administrative data would help ensure that the best data source is used to produce the official statistics that New Zealanders rely on. It would also increase certainty for data suppliers that the protections and safeguards in the Act apply."

Making the most of data that already exists is consistent with international best practice, as more countries increase their use of administrative data, it says.

As well as being empowered to collect data from the most appropriate data source to produce official statistics, the statistics agency is also seeking to be able to influence the design and quality of administrative data collected by government to ensure it's fit for statistical, research, and analysis purposes.

It notes that Cabinet has directed it to produce more census from administrative data.

"For this to happen, the government statistician must be able to access the right data and influence its quality," the discussion document says. "Using administrative data will reduce the cost and burden for New Zealanders."

Stats NZ is seeking views on how data is collected and used, as well as appropriate safeguards, by Nov. 9. It will then provide policy options to the Minister, who may seek Cabinet's agreement for his preferred option before a new bill is drafted and taken through the select committee process.

(BusinessDesk)

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