By . Lucy Buckland . Last updated at 4:58 PM on 15th November 2011 . Positive press : The troubled UK Border Agency has been accused of manipulating drug seizure figures . The Home Office has been accused of manipulating drug seizure figures to show the troubled UK Border Agency in a ‘good light’. Bosses decided to release a select six month figure to the press a week before official statistics were due to be released showing the UKBA has actually seized less drugs this year than last. The chairman of the UK Statistics Authority Sir Michael Scholar said today the releasing of six month period figures to select journalists was 'irregular and inconsistent' with the code of practice. Figures released last Monday, showed border officials seized more cocaine and almost double the amount of heroin in the last six months than in the whole of the previous year. But days later, the official Home Office Statistical Bulletin showed the amount of cocaine seized by border officials in England and Wales had actually fallen by a quarter in 2010/11 compared with 2009/10, and the amount of heroin seized had halved. Sir Scholar has written to Home Office Minister Damian Green seeking reassurances the move was not 'to generate positive news coverage ahead of the release of the national statistics which showed a decline in the volume of drug seizures' were unfounded. In his letter to Mr Green, Sir Michael wrote: 'The Statistical Bulletin makes reference to a fall in the volume of seizures of Class A drugs in the most recent period. 'This contrasts with the November 4 press release, which highlights a large increase in seizures, albeit for a different time period. Seizure: Official figures show the UKBA took less drugs off people at borders this year than last . 'The November 4 press release, which appears not to have been published on either the Home Office or the UK Border Agency websites, and seems to have been distributed only to a select group of journalists, makes no reference to the forthcoming Statistical Bulletin. He went on: 'It has been suggested to me that one motivation for this release was to generate positive news coverage ahead of the release of the National Statistics which showed a decline in the volume of drug seizures. 'I would welcome your reassurance that this is not the case. Were it to be the case, the authority's view is that this would be highly corrosive and damaging to public confidence in official statistics.' Sir Michael added that, while the UK Statistics Authority backs the publication of important statistics as soon as they are ready, 'we believe that the right way to do this is to bring forward publication of the official statistics to the earliest date possible'. UKBA chief executive Rob Whiteman, who will be quizzed by MPs today over his role in the ongoing border checks row, welcomed the initial figures, saying: 'Our work to secure the border all day, every day continues to show significant results despite the efforts of organised crime gangs to circumvent our controls.'
Home Office released figures for a select six months just days before official stats showed less drugs were seized than last year .
Positive figures not placed on UKBA website but just 'handed to a select group of journalists'
By . Lucy Buckland . Last updated at 4:58 PM on 15th November 2011 . Positive press : The troubled UK Border Agency has been accused of manipulating drug seizure figures . The Home Office has been accused of manipulating drug seizure figures to show the troubled UK Border Agency in a ‘good light’. Bosses decided to release a select six month figure to the press a week before official statistics were due to be released showing the UKBA has actually seized less drugs this year than last. The chairman of the UK Statistics Authority Sir Michael Scholar said today the releasing of six month period figures to select journalists was 'irregular and inconsistent' with the code of practice. Figures released last Monday, showed border officials seized more cocaine and almost double the amount of heroin in the last six months than in the whole of the previous year. But days later, the official Home Office Statistical Bulletin showed the amount of cocaine seized by border officials in England and Wales had actually fallen by a quarter in 2010/11 compared with 2009/10, and the amount of heroin seized had halved. Sir Scholar has written to Home Office Minister Damian Green seeking reassurances the move was not 'to generate positive news coverage ahead of the release of the national statistics which showed a decline in the volume of drug seizures' were unfounded. In his letter to Mr Green, Sir Michael wrote: 'The Statistical Bulletin makes reference to a fall in the volume of seizures of Class A drugs in the most recent period. 'This contrasts with the November 4 press release, which highlights a large increase in seizures, albeit for a different time period. Seizure: Official figures show the UKBA took less drugs off people at borders this year than last . 'The November 4 press release, which appears not to have been published on either the Home Office or the UK Border Agency websites, and seems to have been distributed only to a select group of journalists, makes no reference to the forthcoming Statistical Bulletin. He went on: 'It has been suggested to me that one motivation for this release was to generate positive news coverage ahead of the release of the National Statistics which showed a decline in the volume of drug seizures. 'I would welcome your reassurance that this is not the case. Were it to be the case, the authority's view is that this would be highly corrosive and damaging to public confidence in official statistics.' Sir Michael added that, while the UK Statistics Authority backs the publication of important statistics as soon as they are ready, 'we believe that the right way to do this is to bring forward publication of the official statistics to the earliest date possible'. UKBA chief executive Rob Whiteman, who will be quizzed by MPs today over his role in the ongoing border checks row, welcomed the initial figures, saying: 'Our work to secure the border all day, every day continues to show significant results despite the efforts of organised crime gangs to circumvent our controls.'
released showing the UKBA has actually seized less drugs this year than last. The chairman of of heroin in the last six months than in the official Home Office Statistical Bulletin showed distributed only to a select group of