Ministers should embrace recommendations on migration statistics

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) welcomes the wide-ranging series of recommendations published this morning by the governmentís Inter-Departmental Task Force on Migration Statistics.

Dr John Philpott, CIPD Chief Economist, comments: ìIn an era of larger migration flows it is vital that policy makers have as clear a picture as possible of the scale and make up of people entering and leaving the UK. Ongoing debate about the precise effect of immigration on the economyís potential growth rate, and what this means for interest rates, is already hindered by inadequate statistics, particularly on short-term migration flows. And, if established, the proposed independent Migration Advisory Committee will be seriously weakened in the absence of major improvements to the statistical base.

ìAs we approach a period of much slower growth in overall public spending, additional resources for improvements to official statistics might not be considered a top priority. But ministers should view full implementation of the Inter-Departmental Task Forceís recommendations as a key investment in the public policy infrastructure that would offer a valuable economic and social return within the coming decade.î