Statement of Compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

Annual Review of Authority Casework 2020/21 – Statement of Compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

The UK Statistics Authority’s Annual Review of Casework sets out a summary of casework during 2020/21, highlighting volume of casework, source of casework, issues raised and time taken to close casework. It has been produced in the interests of providing greater transparency around the casework process. In producing the report, we have applied the pillars of the Code of Practice for Statistics – Trustworthiness, Quality and Value – in a proportionate way, as explained below.

The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) is the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority and leads the Authority’s casework, as well as providing independent regulation of all official statistics produced in the UK including assessment against the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Trustworthiness – Confidence in the people and organisations that produce statistics and data

The report is produced with the public interest in mind. The report was compiled by the Office for Statistics Regulation, which made all decisions on what to include in the report. There has been no input from Government Departments or a statistics producer on the content and drafting of the report. The report has been reviewed by the Authority’s Regulation Committee, which is made up of Non-Executive Directors and the Director General for Regulation. The report protects the confidentiality of those who made enquiries to the Authority, and only includes specific details of cases where they are already publicly available.

Quality – data and methods that produce assured statistics

The review is based on management information held to support the Authority assess its performance and track key issues. Quality assurance of the final version of all figures quoted in the report was undertaken by an analyst within the Authority who did not work on the compilation of the report, to confirm accuracy. The main data comes from the Authority’s casework management system, which is subject to internal audit review and assurance. The way in which some of the categories and themes have been coded has changed from previous years to increase the quality of the data, we have highlighted in the report any cases where it is not appropriate to make comparisons. Due the small number of cases in categories care should be taken when considering trends as this could have an impact on data over time. Data on the time taken to close cases is also partial due to changes in the database that took place in 2016 meaning the time series analysis for this area is limited.

Value – statistics that support society’s needs for information

The report is being published in the interests of providing greater transparency on the Authority’s casework. Through publication the Office for Statistics Regulation website it is being made available to all those with an interest in the Office for Statistics Regulation’s process. The report will also be highlighted through other channels to ensure potential users are aware of the information. The report has been reviewed by the UK Statistics Authority’s Regulation Committee and feedback has been taken on.

This is the fourth time such a report has been undertaken and is now an annual feature in our casework evaluation procedures. Please send any feedback on the content to regulation@statistics.gov.uk to enable the Authority to understand the value of the report and develop it in ways that will support user needs in future.