The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) has today published its latest annual report that provides an objective analysis of the UK’s statistical system, its current state, and its future direction. Our report shares our views on the system’s performance, its successes and its challenges, and highlights opportunities for innovation and progress.
The report also emphases the need to put user engagement at the centre of everything the system does and finds that Government statisticians have continued to see increased demands for new statistics and insight, In the main, they have been able to respond to these demands, but face increased pressures in doing so.
To strengthen public trust in statistics the report highlights the benefits of taking an open, clear and accessible approach to the publication and use of data and statistics, which we term ‘intelligent transparency’, especially when communicating about quality, uncertainty, and revisions.
OSR’s report emphasises the critical role of the Government Statistical Service in supporting the system’s capabilities and addresses the need to maintain quality despite declining household survey response rates. We discuss the impact that transformative programs aimed at enhancing statistics are having and the necessity for substantial advancements in data sharing, access and linkage across the UK to fully realise the value statistics can provide.
Emphasising the importance of the data sharing and linkage landscape, OSR has also published an update on the recommendations it made last year on enabling greater data sharing and linkage for research and statistics for the public good. We have found that, despite welcome pockets of innovation over the last twelve months, overall there continues to be a failure to deliver on data sharing and linkage across government.
Many barriers to progress persist, including a deficiency of leadership in championing a pan-government approach to data sharing, uncertainty around funding and resourcing, a lack of clarity about data access processes, and ongoing nervousness about the safety of data sharing and social licence.
Nonetheless, the report also highlights and welcomes examples of good practice, such as progress in the development of privacy-enhancing technologies, new public engagement initiatives, and improved cataloguing of the data held by government. To maintain momentum behind its recommendations, the report outlines actionable steps that should be taken to tackle barriers and deliver greater data sharing and linkage across government.
Sir Robert Chote, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority said:
“Today’s report clearly sets out the balancing act that UK statistics producers have had to manage over the last year between an increase in demands and the limited resources at their disposal, while also trying to innovate and improve systems and core outputs. User engagement has been a key theme for the system this year, both in this report and in the recent Lievesley review, to ensure that statistics continue to deliver the greatest quality and value.”
On making the sharing and linking of datasets for” research, statistics and evaluation across government and among external researchers the norm, stronger commitments to prioritise data sharing and linkage are required.
Ed Humpherson, Director General of Regulation said:
“On data sharing and linkage, the forces of inertia continue to overwhelm the forces of progress. Leadership, including political leadership, is needed to make data sharing across government the rule, rather than exception. The Government should start by thinking about how data can support the development and delivery of its policies and then support the removal of barriers to deliver these objectives.”
Notes for Editors
- The UK’s statistical system includes those who collect, produce, disseminate and regulate official statistics, alongside central bodies that set strategic direction. This is the fifth report in our annual series on the State of the Statistics System that OSR has published. You can read our previous reports and related materials we have published here 2020– 2021 – 2022 – 2023.
- The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) provides independent regulation of all official statistics produced in the UK, and aim to enhance public confidence in the trustworthiness, quality and value of statistics produced by government. OSR regulate statistics by setting the standards official statistics must meet in the Code of Practice for Statistics. We ensure that producers of official statistics uphold these standards by conducting assessments against the Code. Those which meet the standards are given Accredited Official Statistics status, indicating that they meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and value. We also report publicly on systemwide issues and on the way that statistics are being used, celebrating when the standards are upheld and challenging publicly when they are not. OSR is independent from government Ministers, and separate from producers of statistics, including the Office for National Statistics (ONS). OSR’s Director General, Ed Humpherson, reports directly to the Chair of the UK Statistics Authority Board, Sir Robert Chote. The Director General, and OSR, have wide discretion in highlighting good practice and reporting concerns with the production and use of statistics publicly. OSR’s work is overseen by the Board’s regulation committee (made up of non-executive directors, and with no statistical producer in attendance). OSR’s budget is proposed by the Board’s regulation committee and endorsed by the Board.
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