Office for National Statistics figures inadequate and completely misleading 

Inadequate and completely misleading - that's London Councils assessment of the Office for National Statistics' population statistics.

The assessment comes following the publication of the Treasury committee's report on counting the population, which criticised the ONS data as 'not fit for purpose'.

London's local authorities have grown increasingly frustrated at the ONS' population statistics, which have had little or no correlation with the realities faced on the ground.

This is a problem because population data is central to the way funding is allocated to local councils for services ranging from recycling to social care.

A recent change to the way ONS calculates population statistics led to London's population projection being cut by over 100,000 - in direct contradiction to work undertaken by a number of London boroughs to estimate their local population. London Councils has warned that London's public services have already missed out on at least £130 million of vital funding thanks to the ONS' methods.

London Councils Chairman Councillor Merrick Cockell said:

"We are pleased that a cross-party Parliamentary Committee has recognised the inadequacies of the Office for National Statistics' completely misleading population statistics.

"The ONS' failure to collate robust population figures has already been hugely damaging to the capital's public services, placing them under severe strain. It is essential that the government urgently remedies these failings before ordinary Londoners who rely on our services lose out."

Read the Treasury select committee's report Opens in a new window

The report states that ONS population estimates are 'not fit for purpose' and 'lead to decisions on the allocation of funding to local authorities being based on inadequate information'.

In March London Councils revealed that the capital has lost £130 million due to the ONS methods. Read the full story.

For press enquiries please contact:
Chris Hogwood on 020 7934 9757
Chris.hogwood@londoncouncils.gov.uk Fax 020 7934 9777

For non-media enquiries contact:
London Councils,
59½ Southwark Street, London SE1 0AL Tel 020 7934 9999