“Principle 2 Practice 7 of the Code requires statistical producer bodies to correct errors, and alert stakeholders, promptly.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has told us that the complexity of compiling the UK National Accounts means that it is, on occasions, not in the user interest for ONS to spend time correcting data immediately, especially if the likely improvement to quality is negligible or the correction of data would serve to divert ONS resources from projects of higher strategic importance or delay publications.

The Authority confirms that, in the case of errors that do not materially affect decisions that users may make based on the statistics, it would not be essential for ONS to correct the data immediately. The Authority considers that ONS should make available information about these arrangements in a transparent and open manner.”