Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Act 2021

2 Amendment of the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008

(1) The Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008 (S.S.I. 2008/399) is amended as follows.

(2) In article 2, at the appropriate place insert—

• ““economic statistics”—

  (a)

  includes official statistics concerning devolved and local taxes, local government finance, labour productivity, exports, capital and revenue outturn budget estimates, government expenditure and revenue, oil production and gas production; but

  (b)

  does not include statistics produced by the Scottish Ministers in the exercise of a function which is exercisable by them pursuant to an Order made under section 63(1)(a) of the Scotland Act 1998.”.

(3) In the Schedule—

(a) in paragraph 4(1)(a), after “market-sensitive statistics” insert “or economic statistics”;

(b) after paragraph 4 insert—

“Further restrictions on pre-release access

4A (1) In this paragraph, official statistics on Scotland’s gross domestic product and official statistics on Scottish retail sales (whether by volume or value) are referred to as “excepted statistics”.

(2) During Year 1 the maximum period which may be allowed for pre-release access to excepted statistics is 1 working day before publication.

(3) During Year 2 the maximum period is four hours before publication.

(4) After the end of Year 2 pre-release access to excepted statistics may not be granted.

(5) In this paragraph—

• “Year 1” is the period of one year beginning on the day after the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Act 2021 receives Royal Assent;

• “Year 2” is the period of one year beginning on the day following the end of Year 1. ”.