Stephanie Howarth to Ed Humpherson: National Survey for Wales accreditation status
Dear Ed,
National Survey for Wales accreditation status – next steps
On 18 July 2025 I wrote to you to request suspension of Accredited Official Statistics
status for the National Survey for Wales. This was due to fieldwork issues encountered
during 2024-25 that resulted in a smaller sample size than usual (6,000 respondents,
compared with around 12,000 in a typical year) meaning that breakdowns could not be
produced by local authority and for smaller subgroups. Outputs based on 2024-25 data
were subsequently badged as official statistics in development, with clear guidance for
users on how the data should be used and interpreted.
I also mentioned that the contract to deliver the survey would be brought to an end
following the end of 2024-25 fieldwork, with work beginning to switch the survey from a
telephone-first to an online-first design (with paper and telephone alternative modes).
Fieldwork for the new design is now under way and is progressing well. Response rates
are good for a survey of this design and it is anticipated that the redesign will lead to
higher sample sizes than previously: it is expected that the 2026-27 survey will involve
over 25,000 completions. This will provide much more precise estimates for small
subgroups than was previously possible, as well as extra scope for the use of
subsampling to include more topics in the survey.
The new survey approach has been designed and implemented to high standards. I will
therefore write to you in spring 2027 to request that OSR assess the survey and, if
content, badge the outputs as Accredited Official Statistics.
Based on discussions with OSR, I understand that the reassessment process would not
be completed until the first release has been published (due in July 2027), so that the
accreditation can check that outputs are meeting users’ needs. In the meantime, I would
request that the currently-suspended accreditation status now moves to cancelled
status, pending the planned reassessment in 2027.
Many thanks for your help with this process.
Yours sincerely,
Stephanie Howarth
Prif Ystadegydd, Llywodraeth Cymru
Chief Statistician, Welsh Government
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