Official Statistics

These are statistics that have been produced following the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.  This Code sets out standards to ensure integrity, objectivity and impartiality.

The Pesticide Survey Unit (PSU) at SASA gained ministerial approval as a provider of Official Statistics in August 2012.  In October 2014 following assessed by The United Kingdom Statistics Authority (UKSA), the PSU were found to be compliant with the Code of Practice and are now designated as National Statistics.  As a producer of national statistics, PSU are required to follow the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and to meet the requirements of the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland Order 2008). 

All PSU reports are produced according to a published timetable.  Release dates are pre-announced via the Office of the Chief Statistician and Performance (OCSP) within the Scottish Government (SG).  The forthcoming publication schedule is published on the SG statistics website on a monthly basis.

For full information on the Scottish Government's statistics policy please visit the Scottish Government website.


Publication timetable

Name Release Date Frequency SASA Contact
Pesticide Usage in Scotland: Rodenticide Use by Local Authorities 2023 Mar-25 Biennial wildlifeunit@sasa.gov.scot
Pesticide Usage in Scotland: Arable Crops and Potato Stores 2024 Oct-25 Biennial psu@sasa.gov.scot

Pesticide Usage in Scotland: Rodenticides on Arable Farms 2024 Oct-25 Biennial wildlifeunit@sasa.gov.scot
Pesticide Usage in Scotland: Soft Fruit Crops 2024 Oct-25 Biennial psu@sasa.gov.scot

Compliance Statement

Find out more about the Scottish Government's compliance with the code.

SASA Statement of Compliance with Code of Practice for Official Statistics

 
Useful Documents

• Pesticide Survey Unit - Methods and Quality Assurance
• Example of Uses of the Pesticide Usage Dataset
• Pesticide Survey Unit - User Feedback
• Pesticide Survey Unit - Revisions Policy
• Pesticide Survey Unit - Letter of Confirmation as National Statistics


Breaches of Code of Practice and Pre-release Order

Any breaches which contravene elements of the Code of Practice and the Pre-Release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order will be reported here.  Information on reporting breaches can be found on the Scottish Government website.

There are currently no breaches to report.


Related Links

• Code of Practice for Official Statistics
• Statistics Publications Schedule for the forthcoming year
• UK Statistics Authority
• Scottish Government Statistics
• Official Statistics (Scotland) Amendment Order 2010
• Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007
• Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008
• National Statistics Hub 
• Privacy Policy