5. Recommendations

Recommendation 1: Changing landscape of data sources

In the context of supporting comparable data capability across the UK, the Government Statistical Service, under the direction of the Inter Administration Committee, should conduct a review of legal frameworks relating to data sharing and access across the UK nations. This review should focus on considering the imbalances between the data sharing and access opportunities and, if necessary, identify legislative changes that can level the playing field in data sharing, access and capability across the UK nations.

Recommendation 2: Understanding user needs and comparability

The Government Statistical Service, under the direction of the Inter Administration Committee, should:

• conduct cross-UK user engagement to better understand specific needs and potential uses for comparable UK-wide statistics and data for the public good. This should build on known UK and devolved government needs to identify statistics on priority topics that should be comparable at national, regional and local levels to provide a more informed strategic direction to UK-wide data work
• assess and score the comparability of the identified priority statistics at national, regional and local levels against OSR’s proposed comparability framework (Annex A) and publish these findings
• publish a strategy to produce and maintain comparable UK-wide statistics and data on selected priority measures at national, regional and local levels. This should be based on a cross-UK commitment where the National Statistician and Chief Statisticians all agree that meaningfully comparable statistics (as a minimum) should be provided
• monitor progress in the development and maintenance of comparable UK-wide statistics for agreed priority measures on an ongoing basis, refreshing understanding of users’ needs for comparable UK-wide statistics at least every three years, potentially as part of the triennial UK Statistics Assembly process

Recommendation 3: Strengthening strategy and governance

The Government Statistical Service (GSS), under the direction of the Inter Administration Committee, should conduct a review of the strategic effectiveness of the current governance arrangements in place for ensuring the production of comparable UK-wide statistics at national, regional and local levels. Acting on the findings of this review, the National Statistician and UKSA Board should strengthen these arrangements to ensure that they are sufficiently strategic and adequately resourced and that they represent the interests of all four UK nations and local data leaders. This should be done with a view to achieving meaningful comparability across a range of agreed, UK-wide measures on priority topics, as part of a strengthened Concordat.

Recommendation 4: Overcoming finance and resource barriers

The National and Chief Statisticians and the UKSA Board, supported by the governments across the four nations, should seek a cross-UK political commitment to adequately finance statistical developments for producing meaningfully comparable statistics at national, regional and local levels. They should establish this agreement through intergovernmental relations and a strengthened Concordat. The 2031 Census recommendations offer an imminent opportunity to initiate such conversations within the framework of a long-term strategic plan that utilises survey, administrative and third-party sources. In addition, they should explore alternative financing models for achieving comparable UK data that ensure a long-term and equitable distribution of resources at regional and subnational levels along with more efficient sharing of human and non-tangible resources, such as the sharing of data. This work should also consider building local level analytical capability, taking into account the context of English devolution, the Mayoral Data Council and the services provided by ONS Local.