When I see pages of official statistics, I can't help recalling an episode of
Yes Prime Minister where the conversation went something like this:
Jim Hacker: But Humphrey, is it really that important that every council return these analysis forms?
Sir Humphrey: But of course, Prime Minister. How else will central government have the data for compiling essential statistics?
Jim Hacker: But everyone know that government statistics are nonsense anyway.
Sir Humphrey: But the data will be incomplete Prime Minister. We want to make sure that the statistics are a
complete nonsense!