The UK Statistics Authority has today published its response to the Independent Review conducted earlier this year by Professor Denise Lievesley, as part of the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Review programme.
It presents a thorough and constructive evaluation of our strengths and areas for improvement. We are grateful to Professor Lievesley and her team for their work and careful recommendations, as well as all colleagues in the statistical system who contributed to the Review by providing evidence or sharing views and experiences.
The Authority Board welcomes strong praise in the Review for quality of the UK’s official statistics, and the professionalism and dedication of those working within the statistical system. It also shows the many ways in which the system supports the public good. As Professor Lievesley rightly observes,
“statistics we can trust are essential for a healthy society as they help to ensure well-informed decisions by putting the best available evidence at the heart of policy development and implementation […] they also serve to empower, enabling citizens to call governments to account and providing a window on society.”
The Review also brings welcome attention and insight to some of the challenges facing the statistical system, dwelling on four major themes:
- engagement and communication with users of statistics
- the need for more sharing of data across government
- keeping technical capabilities up to date with new technologies
- the coherence of official statistics and data across the UK
The full text and a downloadable version of our response can be found in the Publications section of our website.
Notes to editors:
- In June 2023, the Cabinet Office announced that it had begun an Independent Review of the UK Statistics Authority, a regular undertaking as part of the Public Bodies Review Programme, beginning with a call for evidence which concluded 7 July 2023.
- The Review of the UK Statistics Authority: Terms of Reference are available online at GOV.UK
- For enquiries about the Review, please use Cabinet Office’s response form.
- For further enquiries please contact press@statistics.gov.uk or 03000 671 571