FOI Ref: FOI/2021/3330
You asked
Please supply the number of stillbirths in 2021.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry regarding stillbirths registered in 2021.
The latest annual analysis published is for stillbirths registered in 2020 (based on birth registrations) for England and Wales, this can be found in table 3 of our Birth summary tables.
Stillbirths for England and Wales 2020 spilt by quarter of occurrence will be published on 13 January 2022. This will be available in the Births characteristics dataset table 3.
We have published Provisional births data for England and Wales which covers the period January to March 2021 (based on NHS birth notifications). The provisional birth data was based on NHS birth notification which is a document completed by the doctor or midwife present at the birth. The provisional data was produced in response to birth registration delays and the need for information to monitor the potential impact of COVID-19 pandemic on births. Currently there are no plans to publish further provisional births data.
The annual births release covering stillbirths in 2021 is provisionally scheduled for release in July/August 2022.
As such, the information you have requested about stillbirths in 2021 is considered 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. Furthermore, 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.