Office for Statistics Regulation Annual Report 2025/26

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Forward Look

Plan-on-a-page 2026/27

Statistics should serve the public good

Credible and rigorous regulator – Making clear and
strongly communicated judgements against the Code

We will provide clear, well‑evidenced judgements against the Code of Practice and ensure producers act on our requirements. In 2026/27 we will:

  • focus reviews on areas of greatest public interest and data quality risk
  • follow up on key requirements from recent regulatory work
  • implement a new prioritisation and triage approach for older, unreviewed statistics
  • develop self‑evaluation tools for producers, including an updated review model and automated TQV checklist
  • promote public engagement to strengthen transparency and trust in statistics

System catalyst

We will drive systemwide improvement by identifying cross‑cutting issues and supporting better, more-responsive statistics. In 2026/27 we will:

  • deliver targeted systemic and topic‑based reviews – for example, on water quality – and undertake risk‑based cross‑cutting reviews
  • follow up on major recommendations and support producers to embed Code 3.0 and the Standards for Public Use

Public use of statistics

We will champion the transparent and appropriate use of statistics in the public domain, stepping in where necessary to uphold the Standards for Public Use. In 2026/27 we will:

  • challenge the public misuse of statistics through our interventions.
  • promote and embed the Standards for Public Use through a continuous campaign and targeted support
  • review and report on progress against the recommendations from our 2025 Intelligent Transparency review
  • explore new regulatory approaches, including automation, to monitor compliance
  • deliver research on trust, public value and the role of official statistics to strengthen public confidence

Enhance our own TQV

  • We will maintain our independence, quality culture and public value by embedding TQV across our operations. In 2026/27 we will:
  • develop a framework for impartiality and independence
  • launch a refreshed People Plan with refreshed induction and training
  • continue to define our voice, broaden stakeholder engagement, enhance the accessibility of our outputs and digital channels, and explore automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve efficiency and impact
  • develop an evaluation strategy, efficiency framework and register of recommendations

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