Report to the Minister of Statistics: Specificity of topics for the Environmental Reporting Bill report Date: ?11 July 2014 Priority: Urgent Security level: In confidence File number: MM1388 Action sought Action Deadline Minister of Note Information withheld to protect the 22 July 2014 Statistics free and frank expression of opinion and discuss the proposed course of action with the Minister for the Environment Contact details Name Position Telephone First contact Michele Lloyd Manager, Names and contact details Customer Policy withheld to protect privacy and Research Private Secretary to the Minister of Statistics Recommended action It is recommended that you: 1. Note Information withheld to protect the free and frank expression of opinion NOTED 2. Discuss the course of action with the Minister for the Environment at the earliest opportunity, and prior to the next scheduled meeting on this subject on 22 July. Liz MacPherson Hon Nicky Wagner Government Statistician Minister of Statistics Date: Report to the Minister of Statistics: Specificity of topics for the Environmental Reporting Bill report Purpose 1. The purpose of this briefing is to Information withheld to protect the free and frank expression of opinion Background 2. The Bill in its current form states that before producing an environmental report, topics to be included in the report are jointly decided by the Minister for the Environment and the Minister of Statistics. Under clause 18 of the Bill, the Government Statistician (GS) is required, after consulting with the Secretary for the Environment, to decide what statistics will be used to measure those topics. Ministerial consideration of proposed topics 3. On 18 June a list of 88 topics covering five domains of the environment were considered by yourself and Minister Adams. This list proposed approximately 18 topics per domain. Following feedback that the first list did not provide the same level of specificity as the list of topics used in the Air Domain Report and some lack of clarity around the meaning of some topics, a new set was given to Ministers to consider. An example of the change for freshwater quality was: Topic list as at Corresponding topic list as at 18 June 2014 3 July 2014 Freshwater quality Concentrations of phosphorous Concentrations of ammonia Concentrations of nitrogen Water clarity River suspended sediment load Concentrations of pesticides Groundwater salinity Impact of change on the list of topics 4. The increased number of topics reflects a greater level of specificity in the definitions of the topics listed as at 18 June. 5. Information withheld to protect the free and frank expression of opinion 6. The Bill separates the roles of the Ministers from that of the GS in order to give effect to my independence as envisaged by the Bill. Information withheld to protect the free and frank expression of opinion, and the intention of the Bill to maintain the independence of the GS. Proposal to support the independence of topic and measures selection 7. To support clarity between the role of ministers to select topics and my role in the selection of statistics that measure the topics, I propose that: a you agree the topics, with the Minister for the Environment Information withheld to protect the free and frank expression of opinion - Information withheld to protect the free and frank expression of opinion - Statistics NZ and the Ministry for the Environment keep both ministers advised of the measures that will be used to inform the topics. 8. Information withheld to protect the free and frank expression of opinion 9. Therefore, to honour the intention of the Bill, it is important that there is clearly distinguishable differentiation between the topics selected by Ministers and the statistics the GS chooses to measure them. Next steps 10. I recommend that you discuss the approach proposed above with the Minister for the Environment at the earliest opportunity, and prior to the next scheduled meeting on this subject on 22 July.