Chair calls for publication of SAGE papers
19 May 2020
Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, William Wragg MP has written to the Prime Minister to request the publication of papers discussed by the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE). The letter further calls on the Government to amend legislation to allow for the mandatory recording of deaths electronically within 24 hours to improve the accuracy of Covid-19 mortality data.
In a further letter, the Committee has written to the Director General for Regulation at the UK Statistics Authority asking them to aid in scrutiny of Government decisions by notifying the Committee whenever the Government quote statistics or data that are from unpublished sources.
Chair's comments
Chair, William Wragg MP said:
“That many thousands of people have lost their lives in this crisis is an unimaginable tragedy, and if we are to learn the right lessons and deliver the best outcomes, we must improve the quality and availability of data used to inform the Government's strategy. This data must also be public so that we can understand how and why decisions are being made.
“This week, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee heard from the National Statistician and Statistics Regulator, and based on their evidence, I have called on the Government to publish the papers discussed by SAGE so Parliament and the public can understand why Government are making key decisions.
“The fact that the best data on the number of people dying in this crisis is not available for many days could slow a response in the event of a resurgence of the virus. It is vital, therefore, that this process is quickened and today I am calling on Government to amend legislation to make quick electronic recording of deaths mandatory.”
Further information
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