Ministry of Defence: Statistics
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Official Statistics document entitled MOD statistics pre-release access list: 29 July 2026, updated on 5 August 2026, for what reason are the individual service chiefs not permitted pre-release access.
Answered by Ministry of Defence
As has been the case under the previous administration, the published pre-release access lists set out those who receive access for each Official and Accredited Official Statistic publications to support activity specifically associated with the initial release in accordance with the Pre-Release Access to Official Statistics Order (2008). Individual Service Chiefs, or their offices, are therefore included only in relevant publication pre-release lists. Access arrangements are determined on a publication-by-publication basis and are kept under regular review.
The size of pre-release access lists and the appropriateness of recipients listed on them is subject to regulation by the Office for Statistics Regulation who emphasise these lists should contain as few people as possible.
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