FOI reference: FOI-2024-1787
You asked
As a FOI request, please could you tell me how many babies were registered with the name Noel in the UK in 2023?
We said
Thank you for your request.
We are responsible for the production of birth registration statistics in England and Wales, using the information collected from birth certificates at the time of birth registration. Therefore, we do not hold the data requested for the whole of the UK. National Records Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for statistics pertaining to Scotland and Northern Ireland. They can be contacted at foi@nrscotland.gov.uk and info@nisra.gov.uk respectively.
We have not yet completed analysis of 2023 data. Baby Names 2023 will be published as part of our Birth Registrations publication provisionally scheduled for release in July 2024.
As such, Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to the data we hold for England and Wales, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. As a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.