The RSS has responded to a major independent review of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), led by former RSS president Denise Lievesley.
Overall, the recommendations of the report are geared towards enhancing transparency, user engagement, data quality and collaboration, ensuring the UK statistical system effectively meets evolving needs.
The RSS supports the findings of the review, and especially welcomes its focus on meeting the needs of users and of the general public. However, the response from the government is disappointing in two main respects: the insistence that government needs for statistics should take precedence over those of the public and other end users and, secondly, the refusal to engage with proposals to broaden ONS best practice on pre-release access to statistics.
RSS President Andrew Garrett commented: ‘The review rightly recommends an assembly to determine the statistics the UK needs and we welcome its emphasis on user engagement.
‘We recognise that the government requires statistics to govern and plan effectively, but for a healthy democracy, the public need to have the right data to hold the government to account. We counter the government's response that their needs will always take precedence.
‘We’re pleased to see the report urge other departments to take ONS’s lead on ending pre-release access to their statistics and it’s disappointing to see the government’s objection. Ending this outdated practice will increase public trust and end the government’s privilege of being able to determine the narrative.’
Read the full report, along with the government’s response,
here.