Exemptions are rare. They have mainly been agreed where it is not possible to give contact information for the responsible statistician for security reasons.
Prior to a change to the Code of Practice of Statistics in May 2022, an exemption was required to release statistics at a time other than 9.30am. The May 2022 change to practice T3.6 enabled alternative release times (ARTs) to be used, when granted by the Director General for Regulation. Release time exemptions that were granted before May 2022 have been converted to alternative release times. See our policy page for further information and the list of statistics granted an ART.
Should circumstances call for an exemption for a specific practice, Heads of Profession should raise the matter with the Director General for Regulation, Ed Humpherson. The Office for Statistics Regulation supports sensible changes to existing production practices and will quickly consider any requests for exemptions that are in the public interest.
T2.9 In rare circumstances, an organisation may not be able to implement a specific practice of the Code. In this situation, the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics should request an exemption from that practice of the Code from the Director General for Regulation and publish details of the exemption.
Exemptions granted by the Director General for Regulation on behalf of the UK Statistics Authority
| Producer | Statistics | Exempted practice | Reason | Date granted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probation Board for Northern Ireland | All the Probation Board for Northern Ireland’s statistical releases | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 24 September 2020 |
| Office of the Police Ombudsman NI | All Office of the Police Ombudsman Northern Ireland statistical releases | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 24 September 2020 |
| Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland | Public Prosecution Service (PPS) statistical releases | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | |
| Northern Ireland Office | Terrorism legislation statistics | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 22 October 2018 |
| Welsh Government | Mid-year population estimates, Electoral roll statistics, National population projections | 9:30 release time | To carry out adequate quality assurance in time for a 12:30pm publication, three hours after access to data at the time of the ONS release at 9:30am | 22 March 2018 – converted to ART on 05 May 2022 |
| Welsh Government | Annual survey of hours and earnings, Business demography, Business register and employment survey, Regional gross disposable household income, Regional gross domestic product (quarterly), Regional gross domestic product and gross value added (annual), Research and development expenditure, Sub-regional productivity | 9:30 release time | To carry out adequate quality assurance in time for a 12:30pm publication, three hours after access to data at the time of the ONS release at 9:30am | 22 March 2018 – closed on 05 May 2022 |
| Department for Education | Key stage 2 assessment results | 9:30 release time | Because of the compressed timescale, it is highly unlikely that DfE can release these results at 9.30am, but expects to publish them as soon as possible after 11am | 5 July 2016 – converted to ART on 05 May 2022 |
| Office for National Statistics | National Accounts | To correct errors, and alert stakeholders, promptly | The complexity of compiling the UK National Accounts means that it is, on occasions, not in the user interest for ONS to spend time correcting data immediately | 21 March 2016 |
| Department for International Trade (formerly Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) | Export licenses | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 4 June 2015 |
| Home Office | Scientific Procedures on Living Animals | 9:30 release time | Statutory obligation to lay document before Parliament | 25 June 2015 – converted to ART on 05 May 2022 |
| Department of Justice Northern Ireland | DJNI statistical reports | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 16 April 2013 |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | Tuberculosis in Cattle | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 24 Sept ember 2012 |
| Ministry of Defence | MoD statistical reports | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 7 February 2012 |
| Department of Health and Social Care [then Department of Health] | Abortions | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 19 December 2011 |
| Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | NI weekly Agricultural Market Report | 9:30 release time | As a weekly release to issue as soon as it is available on Thursday afternoons, rather than wait until 9.30am the following day | 14 October 2011 – converted to ART on 05 May 2022 |
| Office for National Statistics | RPI | Correct errors discovered in statistical reports, and alert stakeholders, promptly | Practical problems caused to users, particularly in relation to the use of the RPI for index-linking | 30 September 2011 |
| Office for National Statistics | RPI | The relevant statistical Head of Profession has the sole responsibility for deciding on statistical methods, standards and procedures, and on the content and timing of statistical releases | The Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 requires the Chancellor rather than ONS’s Head of Profession to approve fundamental changes to the coverage and basic calculation of the RPI in certain circumstances | 30 September 2011 |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland | PSNI statistical reports | Name and contact details of the lead statistician to be included in published statistics | Security | 16 August 2011 |
| Office for National Statistics - EXPIRED | ONS statistical reports | 9:30 release time | Initial introduction of new website – ONS couldn’t guarantee 9.30am release | 17 January 2011 |
| Producer body | Statistics | Nature of exemption | Duration | Relevant links if any |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office for National Statistics | COVID-19 Infection Survey Results | Publish statistics at 12 pm on Wednesday 19 January instead of 2 pm | Until January 2022 | - |
| Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency | Weekly deaths statistics | Publish weekly deaths statistics on 23 December to avoid publication of the statistics on Christmas Eve | Until December 2021 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Office for National Statistics | Market sensitive economic statistics | Publish market sensitive statistics at 7 am rather than 9.30 am in the absence of media lock-ins | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter and reply |
| Welsh Government | Key economic statistics | Publish market sensitive statistics at 7 am rather than 9.30 am to coordinate with ONS releases | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter and reply |
| Scottish Government | Key economic statistics | Publish market sensitive statistics at 7 am rather than 9.30 am to coordinate with ONS releases | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter and reply |
| Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency | Market sensitive economic statistics | Publish market sensitive statistics at 7 am rather than 9.30 am to coordinate with ONS releases | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter and reply |
| HM Treasury | UK Official Holdings of International Reserves | Publish market sensitive statistics at 7 am rather than 9.30 am to coordinate with ONS releases | Until July 2021 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| National Records of Scotland | Weekly death statistics | Publish statistics at noon rather than 9.30 am to allow for quality assurance | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Public Health Scotland | Weekly COVID-19 report | Publish at noon rather than 9.30 am in line with other related statistics | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Scott Heald Reply from Ed Humpherson Reply from Scott Heald |
| Welsh Government | Children and staff attendance at local authority settings in Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic | Publish statistics at noon rather than 9.30 am | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Department of Health, Northern Ireland | Daily COVID-19 statistics dashboard | Publish at 2 pm rather than 9.30 am | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Dr Eugene Mooney Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Department for Education | Attendance at education and childcare setting during coronavirus outbreak | Publish statistics at noon rather than 9.30 am to allow for quality assurance | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Office for National Statistics | Coronavirus (Covid-19) Infection Survey statistics | Publish at 12 noon rather than 9.30 am | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Office for National Statistics | COVID-19 Infection Survey | Publish statistics at 11 am on 31 July 2020 instead of 12 pm | Once on 31 July 2020 | Letter and reply |
| Welsh Government | COVID-19 Infection Survey Results | Publish at noon rather than 9.30 am | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Department of Health NI | COVID-19 Infection Survey Results | Publish at noon rather than 9.30 am | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Office for National Statistics | COVID-19 Infection Survey Results | Publish statistics at 10:30 am on Thursday 26 November instead of noon on Friday 27 November | Once on Thursday 26 November | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Office for National Statistics | Coronavirus (COVID-19) weekly insights: Key health indicators in England | Publish statistics at noon on a Friday instead of 9.30 am | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) | Weekly deaths statistics | Publish statistics at 4 pm instead of 9.30 am, and publish on Wednesday 23 December instead of Friday 25 December | Once on Wednesday 23 December | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| UK Health Security Agency | Seasonal flu and COVID vaccine uptake statistics | Publish at 2 pm to allow adequate time for quality assurance and at same time as other related statistics | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |
| Department of Health, Northern Ireland | Vaccination status statistics | Publish at 2pm rather than 9.30am | Until 5 May 2022 | Letter from Ed Humpherson |