Office for Statistics Regulation

  1. Ed Humpherson to Liz McKeown: Business enterprise research and development (BERD) statistics – Confirmation of accredited official statistics status

    Sent from: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Sent to: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Dear Liz,    Business enterprise research and development (BERD) statistics – Confirmation of accredited official statistics status We have reviewed ONS’s actions to address the two requirements outlined by our Spotlight on Quality assessment report on ONS’s BERD statistics. On behalf of the Board of the UK Statistics Authority, I am pleased to confirm that ONS’s subregional and sectoral BERD statistics for 2022 and onwards comply with the standards of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value in the Code of Practice […]

  2. Rob Kent-Smith to Brian Green: Compliance Review of Labour Market Statistics in Northern Ireland

    Sent from: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Sent to: NISRA

    Dear Brian  Compliance Review of Labour Market Statistics in Northern Ireland Today we have published a compliance review about how Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) is improving its Labour Market Survey Statistics. This review focused on NISRA’s development of a new Labour Market Survey and addresses the following questions:  Is NISRA effectively handling the […]

  3. Ed Humpherson to Heads of Profession (HoPs): The refreshed Code of Practice for Statistics

    Sent from: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Dear colleague, The refreshed Code of Practice for Statistics: update on OSR’s regulatory approach In my letter of October last year, I set out the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR)’s plans for publishing the third edition of the Code of Practice for Statistics (the Code) and our intention to regulate against it from its release. […]

  4. Ed Humpherson to Phillip Gillespie: Request for assessment of Scottish social services workforce data

    Sent from: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Sent to: Scottish Social Services Council

    Dear Phillip, Thank you for your letter of 28 May requesting an assessment of the Scottish Social Services Council’s (SSSC) workforce data report. I note the recent changes that you have made to these statistics regarding quality assurance procedures and documentation, as well as transparency around methods, data sources and limitations. I also note your […]

  5. Phillip Gillespie to Ed Humpherson: Request for assessment of Scottish social services workforce data

    Sent from: Scottish Social Services Council

    Sent to: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Dear Ed The SSSC Intelligence Strategy 2026-2029 is central to delivering the SSSC’s Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan sets out four outcomes; trusted, skilled, confident and valued, and our Intelligence Strategy enables us to achieve these through the effective use of data and intelligence. Our data and intelligence are integral to understanding the workforce and supporting the sector […]

  6. Ed Humpherson to Sylvia Walby and Brian Francis: ONS’s combined measure of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking

    Sent from: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Sent to: Lancaster University|University of London

    Dear Sylvia and Brian, Thank you for taking the time to discuss your concerns about the quality and value of the Office for National Statistics (ONS)’s combined measure of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking. ONS developed this measure to support the UK Government in tracking progress against its ambition to halve violence against women […]

  7. Ed Humpherson to Karen Reid: NHS Education for Scotland’s workforce statistics – Confirmation of accredited official statistics status

    Sent from: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Sent to: Public Services Delivery Scotland

    Dear Karen, We have independently reviewed the actions that NHS Education for Scotland, and its successor organisation, Public Services Delivery (PSD) Scotland, have taken to address the six requirements set out in our October 2025 assessment of statistics about the NHS workforce in Scotland. On behalf of the Board of the UK Statistics Authority, I […]

  8. Scott Heald to Siobhan Tuohy-Smith: Compliance review of inpatient, day case and outpatient stage of waiting times statistics, follow-up

    Sent from: Public Health Scotland

    Sent to: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Dear Siobhan, Stage of Treatment compliance review – implementation of recommendations Thank you again for carrying out the PHS Stage of Treatment compliance review which took place in December 2025. We were delighted that these statistics retained their accredited official statistics status following the set of improvements we implemented in October 2025 to improve their relevance and timeliness. In February 2026 we wrote outlining […]

  9. Siobhan Tuohy-Smith to Scott Heald: Compliance review of inpatient, day case and outpatient stage of waiting times statistics, follow-up

    Sent from: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Sent to: Public Health Scotland

    Dear Scott, Thank you for your letter outlining the recent work undertaken by Public Health Scotland (PHS) in response to the recommendations contained in our compliance review of PHS’s statistics on inpatient, day case and outpatient stage of treatment waiting times. The actions you have taken to improve guidance to users on exercising caution when […]

  10. John Wilkins to Ed Humpherson: Regularising knife crime statistics

    Sent from: Home Office

    Sent to: Office for Statistics Regulation

    Dear Ed,  I am writing to inform you that the Home Office intends to begin publishing a new regular series of data covering police recorded knife-enabled robbery offences starting Wednesday 20 May 2026. The Home Office collects information on police recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument (knife-enabled crime) in England and Wales for […]