UK Statistics Authority Board minutes: 30 July 2026

Members present

• Penny Young (Chair)
• Dr. Jacob Abboud
• Peter Barron
• Ed Humpherson
• Professor Dame Carol Propper
• Professor Mairi Spowage
• Darren Tierney
• Dr. Sarah Walsh

Other attendees

• Neil Bannister (for item 13)
• James Benford
• June Bowman
• Matt Hughes (for item 12)
• Claudia Jenkins (for item 13)
• Alex Lambert (for items 12 and 13)
• Cat Little (for item 11)
• Jane Naylor (for item 6)
• Sarah Southerton (for item 8 and 12)
• Jennet Woolford (for item 12)

Secretariat

• Sally Jones
• Tom Marsh

Apologies

• Mary Gregory
• Sarah Moore
• Tom Taylor

1. Apologies

1. Apologies were noted from Mary Gregory, Sarah Moore and Tom Taylor.

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 25 June were agreed.

4. Report from the Authority Chair [SA(26)46]

1. The Chair reported on her activities since the Board last met. Work was progressing on the development of a harmonised standard for collecting data on sex. The ad-hoc panel in the absence of the National Statistician were scheduled to consider the publication before publication. Following her attendance at the National Statistician’s Inclusive Data Advisory Group, the Chair had also held meetings with members Professor Alice Sullivan and Professor Wendy Sigle to understand some of the different perspectives.
2. Members were reminded that the September Board would take place in Cardiff and that further information on the meeting would be shared shortly.

5. Report from the Permanent Secretary [SA(26)47]

1. Darren Tierney provided the Board with an overview of activity and issues since the last meeting highlighting the following:
   1. the Office for National Statistics (ONS) had undertaken their first quarterly review as part of the refreshed business planning approach;
   2. a Lessons Learned Review had been conducted on the Labour Force Survey operational error and immediate actions were being implemented;
   3. a new strand of work would be launched on the organisation’s culture to emphasise the importance of everyone taking pride in the basics and process excellence;
   4. the 2026/27 Pay Remit Business Case Pay had been submitted to the Cabinet Office and further pay flexibility cases were planned for the future;
   5. the target of 60 per cent office attendance among Senior Civil Service staff had broadly been met; and new processes had enabled accurate recording of attendance for delegated grades;
   6. in light of the Prime Minister’s focus on devolution the Executive Committee would consider what improvements were possible to ONS’s local statistics.
2. Members discussed the proposed budget transfer, which would need to be approved by HM Treasury. In response, it was noted that work was underway to set out the implications of the request not being approved.
3. The Chair suggested that the proposed efficiency exercise would be more motivating to staff framed as increased productivity, which was agreed.
4. It was agreed that Luke Ashton would attend an upcoming Board meeting to outline his initial reflections ahead of a full paper on the technology strategy in the new year.
5. The Board reflected on a recent deep dive session on the LFS operational issue which demonstrated that, whilst there was no single cause which led to the issue materialising, there had been some lack of engagement in the unusual figures as they emerged. Members therefore welcomed the focus on culture and noted that the continued improvement in office attendance may also assist in spotting such issues sooner.
6. Members referred to the reduced delivery confidence of the portfolio, specifically in the Content and Website Transformation Programme (CWTP), and queried if there would be any impact on the Strategic Risks or the work on data governance which the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee had been overseeing. Darren Tierney confirmed that further work was required to scope CWTP; whilst there was confidence in the delivery of the public facing element there was too much complexity in the data architecture element and the incoming Director General for Digital, Data and Technology would consider this as part of his strategy. Darren Tierney also confirmed that the data governance work was unaffected and that continuing with the original approach would have been more detrimental to the Strategic Risk.

6. Report from the National Statistician’s Office [SA(26)48]

1. Members welcomed Jane Naylor who had recently taken up post as Director of the National Statistician’s Office (NSO) and thanked her for her service as Deputy Head of the GSS. A process was underway to identify a replacement Deputy Head.
2. Jane Naylor updated members on progress made to publish progress against the four priority areas identified in the Independent Report on the 2025 UK Statistics Assembly. Attention would now turn to where the Office needed to focus its attention in preparation for the arrival of the National Statistician.
3. The NSO’s analysis unit had been investigating the impact of the LFS operational issue and determined it to be minor. Members agreed that it would be important to include this in the next public update.
4. Work was progressing to develop a Government Statistical Service (GSS) harmonised standard for collecting data on sex. A draft standard and the underpinning research had been considered by the Ad-Hoc Panel in the absence of a National Statistician, but the Panel would consider the standard again following legal advice and further feedback from the National Statistician’s Inclusive Data Advisory Committee.
5. Members discussed how important it would be to have a considered communications plan and not to underestimate how much attention the standard would garner once published.
6. The feedback from NSIDAC would be welcome, and members agreed that the Board would benefit from greater visibility of the work of the advisory committees and have sight of their work periodically.

7. Report from the Director General for Regulation [SA(26)49]

1. Ed Humpherson provided the Board with an update on recent work by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). He highlighted three positive developments in relation to population statistics: the significant move towards using administrative data for migration statistics, the closure of OSR’s compliance review, and progress on mid-year population estimates.
2. Several recent interventions by OSR had received public, political challenge. The Board reiterated its support for OSR’s work and noted that its growing profile and influence were markers of OSR’s increased impact and welcomed work underway to refine the underlying processes which support response to such challenges.
3. Ed Humpherson referred to OSR’s statement on the federated data platform, noting that whilst it had been a measured intervention it had nevertheless been impactful. He observed that the case illustrated the risk of overclaiming in relation to data platforms and artificial intelligence.
4. The Board noted that OSR had published a blog on crime statistics, addressing public perceptions of crime and misleading claims about crime trends, including those relating to London and the UK more widely.
5. Members reflected on discussions at the International Conference on the independence of official statistics to meet the needs of society, which had shown interest in the UK model of statistical regulation.

8. Communications update

1. Peter Barron updated the Board on the overall communications position which was a mixture of neutral reporting and negative coverage around the LFS operational issue.
2. Members discussed recent Financial Times coverage. It was noted that, while the article reflected a difficult period for ONS, it had not led to a wider media response which reflected the overall direction of the recovery journey.
3. Sarah Southerton reported that July was looking more positive than June.
4. On the Transformed Labour Force Survey, the communications approach would need to identify clear milestones between the current position and the planned transition point, recognising that some audiences would remain sceptical until successful transition.
5. The Chair emphasised the importance of demonstrating the credibility of the plans, including by setting out evidence that progress was being made.

9. Update from the Population Statistics System Committee Chair

1. The Chair updated members on the recent Population Statistics System Committee. The Committee had considered the change in date for the Census rehearsal. The Committee was assured that similar changes had occurred ahead of the 2011 and 2021 Censuses, and that the change was a strategic decision.
2. The Board noted the Committee’s discussion of programme risk. The team, supported by Sarah Walsh, had restructured the risk position into a more streamlined set of risk domains with clear ownership. The next step would be to add risk scores and controls for consideration by the Committee in September. Members also welcomed work to consider scenarios where it would be possible for several risks to materialise simultaneously, and agreed that the Committee would continue to assess the level of concern and escalate issues to the Board where necessary.
3. Members discussed the evolving Census methods, including the increased use of administrative data. It also considered the consequences of the timing of the decision to conduct a Census, and noted that, while the timetable was challenging, the programme would need to deliver within the time available. The Committee had considered risks currently concerning the team, including the sustained pace of mobilisation and the difficulty of securing some specialist resources.
4. There was a consistent theme from Committee members on the range of political risks associated with the Census and the importance of early stakeholder engagement. Members agreed that it was never too early to begin engaging externally and that clear messaging would be important throughout.
5. The Committee had been briefed on the considerations in relation to the question on sex to be used for the Census Test. Members noted that the sequencing was not ideal, as the harmonised standard was not yet available and the Census team had not yet reported on the topic consultation.  The decision would require careful consideration and clear communication.

10. Update from the Regulation Committee Chair

1. Carol Proper updated members on the recent Regulation Committee meeting. The Committee had considered OSR’s current regulatory activity, including work on population estimates, labour market and economic statistics, use of statistics in public debate, and OSR’s developing approach to AI. The Committee also approved OSR’s Annual Report and Casework Report, and discussed the forthcoming State of the Statistical System report.
2. The Chair noted that OSR was continuing to prioritise the backlog of accredited official statistics requiring review, including exploring the use of automation to support triage. The Committee had also supported OSR’s proposed reset of its regulation of ONS economic statistics, moving towards more rounded annual reporting on progress, cross-cutting issues and longstanding recommendations.
3. The Chair highlighted that producers are being invited to join Regulation Committee meetings at the start, before the formal meeting begins, to support engagement and provide members with direct insight from across the statistical system.

11. Devereux Review: One year on

1. Cat Little, Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service joined the meeting to reflect on the previous year, following the Devereux Review.
2. Cat began by thanking the Interim Chair for stepping into the role following the departure of the previous Chair, Sir Robert Chote. Cat also thanked the remaining Non-Executive Members, some of whom had only joined just ahead of the Review.
3. On recruitment, members discussed progress on the National Statistician appointment and agreed that, following the announcement, the Cabinet Office would progress quickly on the recruitment of the permanent Chair and vacant Non-Executive Director posts.
4. Members briefly discussed the considerations that would be needed in considering the longer term roles and responsibilities of the National Statistician and whether it should be re-merged with the Permanent Secretary role in due course. It was noted that, whilst the Review had suggested the split could be temporary, it would be important that any future arrangements ensure that ONS and the wider statistical system are both properly supported. A review would consider the permanent arrangements in due course, and after the publication of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s (PACAC) report. It would be important to engage the Board fully and the wider statistical community as part of this.
5. Members discussed the forthcoming PACAC report, including any potential recommendations relating to Board governance and sponsorship. Independence would need to be recognised as a fundamental, underpinning principle. Consideration of the report would also need to consider how to ensure that events would not be able to repeat themselves through bolstering the effectiveness of governance controls and any further strengthening of the sponsorship arrangement with the Cabinet Office.
6. Many users and stakeholders had already recognised that significant progress had been made, but some commentators may have a limited perspective on the progress made since the Devereux Review. It is understandable that key stakeholders will judge the situation in line with ONS’ recovery journey. Continuing to rebuild trust and confidence requires strong communication of the progress already made, while also understanding that further work remained.
7. The Board reflected on the role of the Office for Statistics Regulation, noting that not all international statistical systems had a regulator. It was agreed that OSR had provided robust, constructive challenge on important issues in a clear and timely way and Cat Little shared that OSR’s interventions demonstrated that there was an effective level of challenge within the system, while noting that the key test was whether regulation led to improvement in statistical outputs and outcomes and their impact could be reduced if used too frequently. Ed Humpherson emphasised that OSR considered carefully when and how to intervene, calibrating interventions to preserve impartiality and effectiveness, particularly on the most significant issues and members noted the level of impact compared to other domestic regulators with formal enforcement powers, which the OSR did not have.
8. The Government’s priorities were becoming clearer, including a strong emphasis on devolution and the wider principle of devolving decision-making. Members discussed whether national and local statistics, including place-based and geographical statistics, were sufficiently developed to support the transfer of significant fiscal and economic levers. The Chair observed that the benefits of data linkage were well understood, including in relation to migration statistics, but that significant friction remained in securing and sharing data for those who could make effective use of it. Members agreed that improving data linkage would be critical to the development of local data, and that the most effective examples of data linkage were often supported by strong relationships as cultural barriers were often as problematic as technical or legal ones.
9. Data linkage could be supported by the effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and members agreed that statisticians were well placed to support the safe and effective use of AI and the incoming National Statistician would have an important role in advancing this agenda.
10. Cat Little informed members that Dan Tomlinson MP had been appointed as the UK Statistics Authority’s responsible minister, as part of a joint portfolio with HM Treasury.
11. The Chair thanked Cat Little for her engagement and welcomed the opportunity of a further discussion at the Board in due course.

12. Transformed Labour Force Survey [SA(26)50]

1. The Chair reiterated how important this issue was to the Board and recognised the progress that had been made as well as the scale of the challenge.
2. Matt Hughes presented the findings of the July readiness assessment which confirmed that the ONS was not yet ready to transition to the Transformed Labour Force Survey; and the most credible date for a decision transition would be in 2027.
3. Updates to the Board had tended to focus on the delivery of the programme milestones. This was vital, but members also requested that more detail be provided in future papers on the results of the TLFS itself. The Board would need to be assured on the quality of the statistical outputs and the credibility of explanation of differences between the TLFS and LFS as those issues would be most important to stakeholders and policy makers. It was agreed that a separate session would be organised with NEDs to focus on outputs of the transformed survey.
4. Members discussed the extent of contingency within the programme and what consideration was being given to alternative scenarios should that date become less feasible. The Executive responded that the transition strategy had been developed allowing for the likelihood that further issues were likely to arise before July 2027. The plan sought to build in as much headroom as possible, including by engaging stakeholders early on the possibility that some areas may initially be delivered at a lower but still acceptable level of quality. Additional contingency had been built into the programme, but if a material issue arose which could not be mitigated within that contingency, the decision should remain data-led, with the ultimate fallback being a later transition.
5. The Board recognised the strong desirability of being able to decide in July 2027 that transition in November 2027 could go ahead, but agreed that this should not be an artificial decision and that transition should only happen once the statistics were sufficiently usable. Members were keen that the Executive built itself as much contingency as possible, particularly given the need to allow recent survey changes time to bed in. The Board encouraged the ONS to continue exploring whether further parallel development activity could be undertaken, including on SIC and SOC, without distracting the programme team from delivery to strengthen contingency and increase confidence ahead of the proposed transition point.
6. James Benford noted that continuing a parallel run was challenging, both financially and operationally. Other National Statistical Institutes had typically introduced digital modes onto existing surveys, rather than undertaking a transition of this nature. A key objective would be for stakeholders to understand and accept that the quality of the survey would continue to improve after transition.
7. The Chair noted that, while members understood the desirability of reaching a decision to proceed in July 2027, the Board would welcome greater clarity on what could be expected following the end of the parallel run. In particular, members asked for further detail on the timing and sequencing of the benefits expected to flow through after transition, to support understanding of the path beyond the go decision. This would be important for stakeholders too.
8. Members suggested that research outputs should be used to build external confidence in the transition. It was suggested that the programme consider publishing targeted analysis to help users familiarise themselves with the data and understand the differences between the Labour Force Survey and the Transformed Labour Force Survey. This could include, for example, analysis focused on a particular geographic area or a specific topic such as SIC codes, to help demonstrate progress and lay the groundwork for transition.
9. The Board discussed the challenges in producing all four datasets ahead of transition. The Executive clarified that the baseline plan remained to deliver all four datasets, but options to reduce to two were being explored as a potential trade off to create head room.  It was recognised that key users would need to be consulted as to whether this could be tolerated.
10. The Board noted that work was underway to develop a longer-term communications plan, setting out the key opportunities to engage with stakeholders and demonstrate progress. Members emphasised the importance of ensuring authentic engagement and that it is an important source of insight and assurance to the Board.
11. The programme would continue reporting to the Board every two months and those updates would need to focus clearly on the critical path to transition.

13. Social Survey Strategy Update [SA(26)51]

1. Neil Bannister introduced the Social Survey Strategy update, noting that the work was intended to support a long-term vision for social surveys, recognising that aspects of ONS’s future operating model remained uncertain.
2. Members considered the primary objective of the strategy should be to focus on the future survey model. As part of this, a key step is to identify what would constitute a meaningful definition of recovery, but that should not be the final aim in itself.
3. The Board noted that, if the term recovery continued to be used, it would need to be clearly defined, including whether it meant the point at which users no longer had material concerns about the reliability of social survey outputs.
4. Members sought clarity on the technology component of the strategy, including whether the focus was on modernising legacy systems or developing new technology and infrastructure. It was noted that the immediate focus was on modernisation, with scope for greater ambition over a longer-term horizon.
5. The Board agreed that the strategy would need to be framed around reinvention and transformation. Surveys were expected to remain an essential part of the statistical system, particularly since data linkage could not yet replace all the needs surveys address. Members also highlighted the need to consider future capability, the interpretation of low response rates and comparisons with wider industry practice.

14. Census annual publication against the FPMS Recommendation [SA(26)52]

1. This section of the minutes will be published following publication of the annual report.