NICOLA Sturgeon has been reported to the UK statistics watchdog after the LibDems claimed infection rates for Scotland and England “may have been seriously twisted” by the First Minister.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon said that “the Office for National Statistics figures this week show that infection levels in England are over 20 per cent higher than those in Scotland”.
The latest ONS figures show that in both Scotland and England, it is estimated that 1 in 20 people have the virus.
The analysis also states that the estimated average percentage of the population that had Covid-19 in Scotland was 4.49% compared to 5.47% in England – a difference of less than 1%.
But the percentage increase of the two figures comes in at just under 22% – backing up the First Minister’s claim and casting doubt over whether Ms Sturgeon's statement was inaccurate.
LibDem MSP Willie Rennie has reported Ms Sturgeon to the UK Statistics Authority.
In a letter to the chair of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir David Norgrove, Mr Rennie wrote: “I write to report to you the use of statistics by the First Minister at the Scottish Parliament this week and to seek your guidance on their validity on this occasion and in future.
“At yesterday’s First Minister’s Questions, the First Minister stated ‘The Office for National Statistics figures this week show that infection levels in England are over 20 per cent higher than those in Scotland’.
“However, ONS figures state that 1 in 20 people were infected in both Scotland and England in the week ending 15 January. They also state that the estimated average percentage of the population that had Covid-19 in Scotland was 4.49% compared to 5.47% – a difference of less than 1%.”
Mr Rennie added: “The public have a right to always expect the Scottish Government’s interpretation of data to be robust. This is even more important when that data is being used to justify and substantiate restrictions on their liberty and freedoms under the use of emergency powers.
“Parliament has granted powers to ministers that would not be countenanced in any other circumstances so scrutiny of how they are used is essential.
“Public confidence in these statistics must not be put at risk. There must be no bias, spin or manipulation. However, I am concerned that these statistics may have been seriously twisted.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The First Minister was entirely correct.
"The most recent ONS Covid-19 infection data showed that the level of infection in England is proportionately over 20% higher than in Scotland – the percentage increase is 21.8% meaning that if the rate in Scotland had matched that in England there would have been more than 50,000 additional infections in Scotland.”
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