FOI-2024-2308
You asked
Please advise on the publication of the baby names statistics for 2022 and 2023.
How many 3rd parties, such as newspapers and media companies have you provided the top 100 baby names list since 2022.
We said
Thank you for your request.
Our 2022 Baby Names release was produced as a data only publication and can be found here. We also published this media release.
Baby names data for babies born in 2023 is scheduled to be released in December 2024. As such, baby name information for 2023 is exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, 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.
The 2022 data were released on our website on 17th May 2024 and no 3rd parties received pre-access. Pre-release access to our statistics was stopped in July 2017.