Dear Dame Angela, Thank you for contacting us with your concerns about two figures that have been used by Government Ministers to describe the potential cost to households of public sector pay increases, namely that “if everyone in the public sector had a pay rise in line with inflation, it would cost an extra £28 […]
Dear Dr Gulhane, Thank you for your letter of 9 November asking us to investigate concerns about statistics on Accident and Emergency (A&E) waiting times in Scotland. The Scottish Government has a target that 95 per cent of people attending A&E should be seen within four hours. Your letter refers to an article in the […]
Dear Sir Robert, Misleading figures on public sector pay increases I am writing to raise concerns over two figures used by Government Ministers regarding the total cost, and cost per household, of public sector pay increases which I believe to be inaccurate and misleading. A number of Government Ministers, including the Prime Minister, have claimed […]
Dear Sir Robert Chote, Thank you for your letter of 1 November 2022 and the work of the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) to review and share lessons for health and social care statistics from the COVID-19 pandemic. As noted in your report, the role of analysts in providing high quality evidence and timely insights […]
Dear Mr Hendry, Thank you for contacting us with your concerns about a trade infographic shared by the Conservative Party on Twitter, which stated that the Government has “secured new free trade deals with over 70 countries since 2016. That’s over £800 billion worth of new global trade”. As regards the figure of £800 billion, […]
Dear Mr Cole-Hamilton, Thank you for your letters of 14 November and 28 November regarding statistics on renewable energy in Scotland. You asked us to consider the claim that Scotland has 25 per cent of Europe’s renewable energy potential and cited several examples. Upon reviewing these, we identified that the precise claim made is that […]
Dear Mr Gwynne, Thank you for your letter of 18 November regarding the chart reproduced below that was tweeted by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 10 November to show the recent evolution of the pay of nurses. You raised two issues: First, you argued that it was “disingenuous to claim that nurses […]
Dear Sir Robert, Further to my letter of 14th November, I am writing once again with regard to the serial misuse and mismanagement of a recently debunked energy statistic by a succession of Scottish National Party and Scottish Green Party ministers and politicians. On Sunday 27th November, a senior member of SNP staff posted an […]
Dear Sir Robert, Misleading DHSC chart on nurses’ pay I am writing to raise concerns over a chart, recently published by the Department of Health and Social Care, which I believe to be deliberately misleading. I have attached a link to the chart entitled ‘How Nurses’ Pay Has Increased’ to this letter. You will no […]
Dear Sir Robert Chote, I write to report to you the use of statistics by the Minister for Immigration, Robert Jenrick, both in the House of Commons and on his recent appearance on the ITV show, Peston. I would like to seek your guidance on their validity on this occasion and in future. In response […]