PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER Press Statement No. 242
April 1974
COMMITTEE ON INTEGRATION OF DATA SYSTEMS
The Prime minister today released the Report prepared
by the Committee on Integration of Data Systems.
The Prime Minister recalled that in December 1973 he had
appointed a Committee to advise on the general principles and
administrative arrangements which would enable the Government to
integrate the various departmental data systems servicing related
areas of its social and economic policies. The membership of the
Committee comprised Professor L. F. Crisp ( Chairman), Mr. B. Brogan,
Mr. K. L. Brown, Mr. R. Jolly and Professor C. S. Wallace.
The Prime Minister outlined in brief some of the-major
repommendations put forward by the Committee. These included
the recommendations that:
1. The Australian Bureau of Statistics should be
established as a central statistical authority
and be administratively autonomous with the
Statistician having the status and power of
a Permanent Head;
2. the Bureau should be responsible to, and the
Statistician should make an annual report to
Parliament through the Treasurer;
3. the Bureau's continuing program and planned
priorities should be subject to annual scrutiny
by a representative National Statistics Advisory
Council which should have the duty of advising
the Treasurer conc erning them. The Council will
include representatives of various groups, such as
Trade Unionists, Employers, Universities and Civil
Liberties organisations. The Chairman of the Council
should be independent both of the Public Service and
organised economic or social interests;
4. the membership and functions of the existing annual
Conference of Federal and State Statisticians should
be extended to improve it as a vehicle for articulation
of State statistical needs and priorities; / 2