This Brief has two main functions. First, it illustrates some of the many uses of official statistics that are made by a wide variety of people and organisations – the ways in which statistics serve the public good. Second, it is intended to bring coherence to work by producers of official statistics to identify, document and improve their and others’ knowledge of the ways in which the statistics are used. The Authority would be interested in views on the ‘framework of use’, and will adapt it and present further examples of the use of statistics in a subsequent Brief.