The IDBR
Inter-Departmental Business Register; a key survey source
The Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) is the comprehensive list of UK businesses used by government for statistical purposes. It provides a sampling frame for surveys of businesses carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and by other government departments. It is also a key data source for analyses of business activity.
The main administrative sources for the IDBR are VAT trader and PAYE employer information passed to the ONS by HM Revenue & Customs; details of incorporated businesses are also passed to ONS by Companies House. This is supplemented by ONS survey data and survey information from:
• Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment – Northern Ireland (DETINI) • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) farms register.
The IDBR combines the information from the three administrative sources with this survey data in a statistical register comprising over two million enterprises. These comprehensive administrative sources combined with the survey data contribute to the coverage on the IDBR, which is one of its main strengths, representing nearly 99 per cent of UK economic activity. The IDBR covers businesses in all parts of the economy, missing some very small businesses without VAT or PAYE schemes (self employed and those with low turnover and without employees) and some non-profit making organisations.
The IDBR complies fully with all European Union legislation relating to the structure and use of business registers, including:
• Regulation (EC) No 177/2008 of 20 February 2008 establishing a common framework for business registers for statistical purposes. • Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
It holds a wide range of information on business units including:
• Name • Address • Standard Industrial Classification • Employment and employees • Turnover • Legal status (company, sole proprietor, partnership, public corporation/nationalised body, local authority or non-profit body) • Country of ownership • Company number • Intrastat marker for goods and services traded (imports & exports) between the EU member states and the UK.
The industrial classifications or descriptions of business activity on the IDBR are determined from responses to surveys, or from administrative data held in VAT and PAYE systems. The IDBR has facilities to provide statistical samples at enterprise and at local unit level. The enterprise address is generally the head office. The local units or sites, for example a retail outlet or factory, are where the enterprise operates.
The confidentiality of all the data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and by specific legislation. The main users of the IDBR are government departments and local authorities that are permitted to receive information for planning their surveys, for pre-defined statistical analyses and for legally permitted specific administrative purposes.
An annual publication providing a size analysis of UK businesses is available free on the NS website for years from 1995 to 2008. Other analyses of IDBR data are available on the Neighbourhood Statistics and Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform websites. The IDBR Data Analysis Section provides a bespoke analysis service tailored to users needs, for both confidential and public release data.
Produced by the Office for National Statistics
For General IDBR queries and data available, please contact: +44 (0) 1633 456902 or email: IDBRDAS@ons.gov.uk
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UK Business: Activity, Size and Location