Dear Ed,
I am writing to inform you that we have now published the Welsh Government’s response to our recent consultation on proposed changes to our statistical outputs.
The consultation, which ran for 12 weeks from 19 November 2025 to 11 February 2026, sought views on a range of proposals aimed at ensuring our statistics remain sustainable, accessible and responsive to user needs. These included changes to the frequency, format and scope of some outputs, as well as proposals to reduce duplication where equivalent data are available from other official sources. None of the proposals to stop outputs affected accredited official statistics originally produced by the Welsh Government.
We received 59 responses from a wide range of users, and all feedback has been carefully considered in shaping our final decisions. Overall, respondents recognised the need to prioritise resources, while emphasising the importance of clear signposting, maintaining accessible Wales-specific insight, and supporting users in understanding and interpreting the data.
We listened to user views, and in some cases, have not gone ahead with our original proposals where there were compelling cases that they were not supported. The published response sets out the decisions we have taken across all topic areas, alongside the feedback received. In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, we have sought to be transparent about both the rationale for change and how user views have influenced the outcomes.
We will now be implementing the changes and communicating these alongside the affected statistical outputs. This will allow users to easily find information on what has changed (or not changed) and why.
We will continue to engage with users and monitor the impact of these changes, ensuring our statistics continue to meet user needs and maintain public value.
We would be happy to discuss any aspect of the response with you.
Yours sincerely,
Stephanie Howarth
Prif Ystadegydd |Chief Statistician
Related links: