Guest blog by David Caplan, RSS Honorary Officer for Public Statistics
In July, the RSS convened a roundtable with users, producers and regulators to discuss coherence and comparability across UK statistics. This was the latest in a series of discussions with colleagues from the ONS and OSR, following previous roundtables on topics such as user engagement and population statistics. Together, these conversations are helping to bring user perspectives and member expertise into some of the most important challenges facing the UK statistical system.
This latest session focused on how statistics can better support meaningful comparisons across the UK and provided a valuable opportunity to explore the challenges users face when working with data across the four nations – challenges which will only grow, with a new Prime Minister laser focused on devolving power. A key theme throughout the discussion was the need for statistics that reflect the geographies users actually work with. Our members highlighted the demand for data at regional, local authority and small-area levels, alongside rural, urban and coastal geographies. What is clear is that flexibility is key to ensuring that statistics are produced in ways which support policy and decision making.
Our conversation reinforced the distinction between coherence and compatibility. Users need more than just datasets that fit together consistently; they need confidence that statistics can be meaningfully compared across places and over time. For this, users need context; clear explanations of definitions, limitations and differences in methods or sources are crucial for users to be able to make informed comparisons. We also talked about the challenge of visibility and access as, often, users don’t know what data is available across different geographies, and what limitations apply.
What struck me most was the breadth of areas where these issues arise, from health and social care to education, housing, equality data and local economic statistics. The discussion highlighted both the complexity of the challenge and the strong appetite for greater coherence and comparability across the UK statistical system. I left the roundtable encouraged by the shared commitment to improving how statistics support comparisons across the UK. I look forward to seeing how the ONS and its statistical partners build on these insights and how our discussion informs progress as this important work develops.