Does the Statistics and Registration Service Act have any relevance to data sharing?
The Statistics and Registration Service Act applies only to data designated as Official Statistics. Data access is an express statutory function of the Statistics Authority and the Act defines the legal gateways under which ‘personal information’ can be disclosed. The Act permits disclosure of personal information to an Approved Researcher, i.e. an individual to whom the Statistics Authority has granted access, for the purposes of statistical research, to personal information held by it. The criteria for access require the Statistics Authority to consider whether the individual is a fit and proper person, and whether the purpose for which access is requested is valid. The Act also states that disclosure of personal information outside of the legal gateways is a criminal offence. The Act does not apply to individual researchers who are managing confidential research data that are not designated as Official Statistics. Further information on the Act is available at legislation relevant t
