Catalogue description Statistical Branches, Divisions and Departments

Before 1865 the statistical work of the Home Office was divided into criminal (including civil legal) and domestic statistics. Criminal police, prison and civil court statistics were compiled in the Criminal Department, and, after 1856, in the Police and Statistical Department, and were used in the preparation of parliamentary returns on crime and justice. Parliamentary returns on other matters were dealt with in the Domestic Department. From 1849 parliamentary returns were the responsibility of the librarian, who also became Home Office registrar at that time.

In 1865 the two types of statistical work were brought together in a single Parliamentary Department, which had a Statistical Branch transferred from the dissolved Police and Statistical Branch and a Library and Parliamentary Branch responsible for parliamentary returns. The office of librarian and registrar was abolished. From 1860 the judicial statistics were compiled by the chief clerk, though he was not responsible for the parliamentary returns. In 1868 the head of the department became chief clerk, and along with the Local Taxation Branch and the audit of accounts, the Parliamentary Department was incorporated into the Chief Clerk's Department. In 1876 the Chief Clerk's Department was itself absorbed into a General Department, the two branches of the former Parliamentary Department being combined into a single Parliamentary and Statistical Branch under a clerk for statistical returns. In 1905 the Statistical Branch was formally attached to the Domestic Department, but operated otherwise as a common service.

In 1898 the branch became responsible for statistics of workmen's compensation proceedings in county courts, and in 1908 of payments for workmen's compensation. In 1905 licensing statistics were added and in 1909 statistics in connection with the work of inspectors of constabulary and probation officers. The branch contained several sections; criminal, miscellaneous and workmen's compensation. Following the First World War the branch became responsible for stationery matters and for the operation of the Home Office Duplicating and Copying Section, and it gradually acquired statistical duties in a variety of new fields. By 1930 the Branch also absorbed the separate Factory Statistics Branch of the Factory Department, initially as a distinct section but by 1934 as part of an Industrial Section also dealing with workmen's compensation statistical work. From 1883 there was also a branch in the Mines Department responsible for the preparation of mineral statistics.

The Home Office, Statistical Branch, continued until 1968. It was then succeeded by:

• 1969: Research Unit and Statistical Division;
• 1970: Research and Scientific Department;
• 1971-1972: Research and Statistics Department;
• 1973: Statistics;
• 1974-1989: Statistical Department;
• 1990: Statistics Division.