You asked

Please can you publish all raw data (presumably monthly) and the subsequently derived indices for water charges as used in the CPI and RPI in the period since 2010. By subsequently derived indices I mean any index produced that is not published in the regular publications. I am happy to have the raw data grouped by supplier but with no supplier named.

We said

Thank you for the clarification of your earlier request for data on water charges.

You asked for any index produced that is not published in the regular publications. Please see the following link to our microdataset, which includes item indices for water services. These are not part of the National Statistics publication. The item indices are found in the "Item indices April [year]" files. The reference numbers for the water items are 410402 and 410403. These can be found in column B of the relevant files, for example cells B262 and B263 of the April 2020 file. The RPI indices are in column F (eg F262 and F263 for 2020) and the CPI/CPIH indices are in column G (eg G262 an G263 FOR 2020). The indices are unchained, that is, they are referenced on the previous January=100.

Unfortunately, we are unable to disclose the raw data in the format you have requested. Even if we were to remove the names of the suppliers, the data you have requested would still be identifiable, as data at this granular level could be matched with other publicly available information. Section 39 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) renders it an offence to disclose information held by the Statistics Board for statistical purposes that would identify an individual or a body corporate. As we are prohibited by law from publishing statistics in which individuals can be identified, we find that Section 44 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) applies. Section 44 is an absolute exemption and no consideration of the public interest test needs to be applied.