Sharing of data with NRS – benefits and barriers

Sharing of data with NRS – benefits and barriers Kirsty MacLachlan National Records of Scotland National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Aim • Background • Data sources • Charts with comparisons • Benefits to LAs • Data Protection issues • Way forward? National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Aim of project • To assess the feasibility of having an alternative to a traditional census – a decision is required in 2014 • To explore potential of improving the quality of inter-censal population statistics National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Background • Census • conducted only every 10 years • costs about £65m • increased mobility of the population • response rates to surveys are dropping National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

McLelland Review ‘Although sensitive to information protection and privacy issues, the citizen would expect that public bodies will share and move information across internal boundaries, particularly where there is an advantage to the citizen or the community when this happens’ National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Challenges in using admin data • Coverage : gaps, duplication • Definitions, geographical scope • Timing, currency • Breadth of information • Quality (completeness, accuracy, consistency) National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Sources of admin data • School Census • Child Benefit • DWP State Pension Age Benefits • NHS central Register and Community health Index • Council Tax systems • DWP Other Benefits • Electoral Register • Higher Education Student Record (HESA) • National Insurance Recording System (NIRS) • One Scotland Gazeteer (OSG) • Local Data Sources National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Census Address File Corporate Address Gazetteer Administrative List Persons Birth Registrations Address File [Register] Death Registrations Demographic spine Methodology Person Universe Address Universe Other local data NHSCR Benefits School Census Electoral register HESA Census Coverage Survey National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Census Coverage Survey Administrative records census 3rd list: TSE QA Imputation Updates/ Maintenance Statistical Population Register? Demographic Spine Surveys National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Examples of comparisons of aggregate data National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Figure 1: Comparison of CHI and 2001 Census, total overcount by Local Authority National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Figure 2: Comparison of NHSCR and 2010 Mid Year Estimates, total overcount by Local Authority National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Examples of comparisons with record level data National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Linking NHSCR records to HESA recordsto identify Scottish students studying in E&W • NHSCR – 665,000 people born between 1984 and 1990 (and hence of student age in 2007/9) • HESA – 6,909 students born between 1984 and 1990 and with either a non-Scottish term time post code or none at all • HESA data needed careful processing to distinguish between students located in England/Wales and those doing distance learning courses • Of the HESA records, 6,534 (94.6%) were confidently linked to the NHSCR file • Those who could not be linked were more likely to be of non-GB nationality (12% vs 4%) and non-white ethnicity (19% vs 10%) • Using only linked records for students following first degrees and for whom complete data is available leaves 3,893 records. National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Figure 3: 3,893 first degree students domiciled in Scotland but studying in England 2007-9 Location of health board registration at end of academic year by year of study National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Potentially useful LA data? • School census (including names) • Housing benefit • Landlord register • Houses in Multiple Occupation • Council tax National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Benefits • To enable a feasibility study to inform requirement for legal change • To help improve population and migration estimates thus improving resource allocation • To help identify potential data sources • To help identify any data issues in terms of coverage, definitions etc. • To learn more about the uses to which administrative data might be put both within NRS and Councils • To facilitate sharing of information and joint working between departments within Councils • To help improve the accuracy of the council data • To reduce the data burden on users by synchronising databases • To allow processes to be rehearsed for creating a population spine using the census National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Safeguards • NRS is ‘trusted’ and ‘gold standard’ • NRS work under census legislation – all data would be protected to an equivalent standard • NRS has considerable expertise in securely transporting and storing large amounts of personal data and in producing anonymised statistics (e.g. SLS, SHELS) National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Data Protection issues • Legal framework is complex and overlapping • No single source of law that regulates public sector data sharing • First step is for LAs to determine whether they have vires for data sharing • Use codes of practice to help ensure good practice National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Purposes for sharing data – statistical • Necessary for the exercise of function conferred on RG • Fair processing • Privacy notice requirement? • How should notice be given? National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Proposed way forward? • Do nothing • Miss opportunity to make use of 2011 census as a benchmark • Step up research to integrate existing sources • Enable a decision about census alternatives to be made in 2014 • Improve quality of data National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Questions • What are the key barriers? • What steps do we need to take to enable data to be shared and to ensure fair processing? • What would give greater reassurance to data controllers? • How can we best work together? National Records of Scotland preserving the past; recording the present; informing the future

Sharing of data with NRS – benefits and barriers