Next meeting: 30 May 2024, London Boardroom

Members present

• Sir Robert Chote (Chair)
• Dr Jacob Abboud
• Professor Sir John Aston
• Professor Sir Ian Diamond
• Ed Humpherson
• Sian Jones
• Professor Dame Carol Propper
• Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter
• Penny Young

Also in attendance

• Sally Jones
• Will Laffan (for item 8)
• Sarah Moore
• Emma Rourke (for item 8)
• Ruth Studley (for item 8)
• Tom Taylor

Apologies

• Nora Nanayakkara
• Alison Pritchard

1. Apologies

1. Apologies were noted from Nora Nanayakkara and Alison Pritchard.

2. Declarations of Interest

1. There were no new declarations of interest.

3. Minutes and matters arising from previous meetings

1. The minutes of the previous meeting held on 21 March were agreed.

4. Report from the Authority Chair [SA(24)17]

1. Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) had met before the meeting. They had discussed topics including the draft recommendation for the Future of Population and Migration Statistics (FPMS) and the NED recruitment.
2. The Chair reported on his recent activities since the Board last met. Sir Robert alongside Professor Sir Ian Diamond had attended a presentation by Home Office statisticians and analysts about their work in supporting policy. Sir Robert had met with Tom Taylor regarding the review of the Central Policy Secretariat division. Sir Robert had completed the annual round of NED annual appraisals.

5. Report from the Chief Executive [SA(24)18]

1. Sir Ian provided the Board with an overview of activity and issues since the last meeting, highlighting the following:
   1. delivery progress regarding the draft recommendation document for the FPMS including extensive stakeholder engagement;
   2. the interim year-end financial position, which was forecast to be a small under expenditure;
   3. completion of the ONS business planning process 2024/25 with publication of the plan and  work ongoing to identify further efficiencies in the enabling areas;
   4. HM Treasury’s Main Estimate exercise was yet to complete and related to funding for the FPMS programme, survey transformation and public sector productivity;
   5. media attention around hybrid working with confirmation that PCS members would be taking part in action short of strike following a ballot on increased office attendance;
   6. Pete Benton would be leading Data Capability in the absence of Alison Prichard, which included the role of Senior Responsible Owner for the Integrated Data Service Programme. Nigel Green had joined the ONS from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) as interim Director General to lead the delivery of the Integrated Data Service (IDS);
   7. progress of the Transformed Labour Force Survey;
   8. Sir Ian had responded to a letter from Andrew Bridgen MP on the topic of excess deaths by vaccination;
   9. the work by the Data Science Campus with the publication of consumer card spending across the UK: 2019 to 2023 on 25 March;
   10. ONS had repurposed the Winter Covid Infection Survey platform to an NHS funded survey examining experiences of health services, which would start in June; and
   11. the Authority’s response to the Lievesley Review, which was scheduled for the May meeting.
2. Members discussed the update. The following comments were considered in discussion:
   1. the approach to hybrid working by ONS was in line with central Civil Service policy;
   2. progress of the IDS included agreement on timing for transition from the Secure Research Service to the IDS. The aim across government was to provide easy access to the IDS for analysts;
   3. the recent phishing email security test had resulted in 15 per cent of colleagues clicking the email. It was noted that phishing formed part of mandatory security training and further cross office communications were planned to raise awareness;
   4. the May Audit and Risk Assurance Committee meeting was scheduled to discuss a risk based plan on legacy and website transformation, ahead of a discussion at the May Authority Board; and
   5. the publication of time series of age-standardised mortality rates, (monthly), by both date of registration and date of death, and consideration of inclusion in the weekly provisional death figures.
3. The Board noted the update.

6. Report from the Director General for Regulation [SA(24)19]

1. Ed Humpherson provided update on regulation activity highlighting the development of this year’s State of the Statistical System Report, which would provide the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) view of the performance of the statistical system. It was noted that recommendation one of the Lievesley Review referred to the State of the Statistical System report as part of the development of the Statistical Assembly and annual public lecture by the Authority Chair.
2. The Board heard about OSR casework for 2023/24, the annual number of cases was the lowest since pre pandemic, but the complexity had increased significantly.

7. Report from the Chair of the Regulation Committee

1. The Chair reported on the work of the Regulation Committee which had last met on 11 April.
2. The Committee had considered:
   1. the development of the State of the Statistical System Report;
   2. progress of the review of ONS gender identity statistics in the 2021 Census;
   3. an update on review of the Code of Practice for Statistics;
   4. Transformation of the Labour Force Survey and OSR’s review of ONS LFS derived labour market statistics;
   5. emerging findings of the review of ONS’s Administrative Based Population Estimates;
   6. OSR’s Economic Statistics programme of work; and
   7. the Police Recorded Crime draft report ahead of publication in May.
3. The Committee had considered and approved the proposal by OSR to accredit official statistics status for the Annual Business Survey and the Graduate Outcome Statistics.

8. Future of Population and Migration Statistics Draft Recommendation [SA(24)20]

1. Emma Rourke introduced a paper which presented the draft recommendation document on the Future of Population and Migration Statistics (FPMS); and an update on the planned oversight over the next two years, supporting activities and the forward work programme.
2. The Board heard about the stakeholder engagement that had been undertaken since the last meeting. External, in person round table sessions with academics, had been held in Edinburgh, London, Southampton and Manchester. The events had provided an opportunity to discuss the vision, the consultation and recommendation and plans, with a focus on listening to feedback, developing an ongoing rapport and establishing partnerships.
3. Feedback from the Manchester event highlighted an appetite to support ONS to make the best use of administrative data. It provided the opportunity for partnership working with hard to reach groups in relation to protected characteristics. The event in London had indicated support for an administrative based census but as an additional offer to a decennial census rather than an alternative. Other feedback highlighted the attachment to a decennial census as a recognised ONS brand, and an emotional attachment to a point of time national event. An annual census day was proposed as a potential alternative. The events had enabled ONS to highlight their plans, to continue to develop their relationship with users and citizens based on trust. Overall the events had provided the opportunity for ONS as a listening organisation to collaborate with users. Other ongoing engagement included the Devolved Administrations to ensure a coherent UK wide outcome including sharing data to support population statistics; Central Digital and Data Office and HM Treasury.
4. Board members discussed the draft recommendation document and the draft Terms of Reference for the subcommittee of the Board. The following points were made in discussion:
   1. The importance for users to have a clear understanding of who is leading on each action (the Authority, UK Government and ONS) and the dependencies. ONS is dependent on government to deliver a reliable supply of high-quality administrative data as well as the necessary resources. The recommendation document clearly set out the three principal actions, to ensure that ONS is not perceived by users as accountable for delivery in all three areas.
   2. The clarity of tone and content of the recommendation document, which clearly set out roles and responsibilities with the Authority as the overall sponsor.
   3. The recommendation document showed that the feedback by users had been considered. The areas of user concerns would continue to be an area of focus by ONS in the coming two years.
   4. The recommendation document represented a significant opportunity for statistics in England and Wales, and the UK as a whole.
   5. The need to ensure the recommendation document was clear that the FPMS programme would collect individual level data, but that it would not be disclosed at an individual level in statistics.
   6. Members welcomed the detail in the recommendation document including increased references of the timeline for accreditation of Admin Based Population Estimates (ABPEs), which demonstrated the clarity of intent by ONS  to seek accreditation of ABPEs at the appropriate time for priority characteristics only in the first two years. The document also provided clarity on the critical administrative datasets required across government.
   7. The need to undertake a final sense check on the consistency of tone in the main body of the recommendation document and the summary, with reference to the areas the Methodological Assurance Review Panel (MARP) noted.
   8. The accompanying press release could reference the citizen privacy issue more by emphasising data security, noting that the Authority as an independent body was best placed to lead on this work.  Also being clear that the government would not have access to individual level data but rather access to the analysis through data sets on the IDS.
   9. In terms of assurance for the FPMS programme, as a major government programme the IPA would provide oversight through gateway reviews. Further detail on the overall assurance map for the programme would be provided for the subcommittee, which would include the IPA, and as part of the ONS Internal Audit programme 24/25. The role of the National Audit Office would also be considered.
   10. Feedback on the Terms of Reference for the subcommittee included the need for clarity of purpose including how it would hold all those leading on actions to account, and further consideration of membership.
5. The Board endorsed the draft recommendation document as ready to be issued, subject to two minor amendments. The first, a sense check to ensure consistency of tone throughout the main body of the document and the summary. Secondly consideration of the information included in relation to the citizen and security of individual data. The date for publication of the recommendation was not yet confirmed and was subject to resolution of discussions with HM Treasury on funding for the FPMS.

9. Any other business

1. The Board would next meet on Thursday 30 May.