title: Statistics agency does not calculate attrition rates.
abstract: The article 'Government data on attrition rates unreliable, experts claim' (news August 2), refers to 'the methodology used by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on behalf of the Department of Health (DH), which earlier this year produced an attrition rate of 16 per cent'.
authors.affiliation: Higher Education Statistics Agency, Cheltenham.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sibson