An independent agency which reports to the UK government. It compiles and publishes statistics on national and local populations, including their social and economic situation and their contributions to the country's economy. It also records the demographic patterns of births, marriages and deaths, including the medical causes of death. It organises a nationwide, ten-yearly census based on the actual presence of individuals in a house or institution on a given night. These figures provide government departments and local authorities with information for the planning of services.