The UK Statistics Authority has launched its new five strategy: Statistics for the Public Good.

As part of the planning and preparation for this new strategy the Authority has engaged with a wide range of users and stakeholders.

Here’s what they had to say about our new strategy.

 

 

 

 

 

Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser said:

“The world is becoming increasingly data driven. Data properly curated, integrated and analysed has the possibility to inform better policy making and transform lives. The vision set out by the UK Statistics Authority should help ensure that we can maximise the benefits from data by ensuring it’s available for research in a secure and user friendly way and builds public trust in the evidence.”

Karl Wilding, Chief Executive, National Council for Voluntary Organisations said:

“Statistical evidence remains one of the bedrocks of good decision making in policy and practice. Charities and voluntary organisations depend heavily on official statistics, to inform our own approaches and influence decision makers. In these rapidly changing times, it is critical that we continue to build trust and confidence in statistics and evidence and the systems which produce them. As such, I hope others will join me in welcoming this new strategy and the vision it creates. A vision for a high quality, trusted and inclusive system for producing the evidence that is so important in our lives.”

Steve Blair, CEO Ordnance Survey said:

“Today data, statistics and insights play an important role in underpinning decision making across the public and private sector, helping to deliver positive impact for millions of people. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how vital trusted statistical evidence and location data is in helping organisations respond.

“Location data is the golden thread that helps connect multiple data sources as well as enabling improved sharing of data across government and the private sector. We are looking forward to supporting the strategy over the next five years and ensuring that trusted and authoritative geospatial data continues to help maximise analytical impact.”

Nigel Clifford, Deputy Chair, Geospatial Commission said:

“High quality, usable, data has never been so important. The Geospatial Commission welcomes this new strategy for statistics, with its focus on building a radical, ambitious, inclusive and sustainable statistical system.

Geography and location data have traditionally had a powerful role to play in linking statistical data to derive insight and value. The new UKSA strategy links well with the UK’s Geospatial Strategy, published last month, which addresses how the better use of location data can underpin advances in society and improve our lives.

The geospatial community are ready to play our part, working in partnership for the next phase of the UK’s data journey.”

Martin Clarke, Government Actuary said:

“Never before have public interest in and appetite for timely, authoritative, and trustworthy statistics to inform the public debate and describe our current state so high. An ambitious strategy that rises to this challenge, embraces the potential of data of all forms and maintains the high standards of quality for which UKSA is renowned is to be welcomed and supported.”

Professor Deborah Ashby, President of the Royal Statistical Society said:

“This new strategy comes at a crucial time for statistics. As we have been gripped by a global pandemic, the work of statisticians has never been so important in helping to inform the public and government so that decisions can be made based on the best evidence.

“The UK Statistics Authority has made some great strides over the last five years, from increasing public trust by removing much pre-release access, to the creation and development of the Office for Statistics Regulation. Going forward we would like to see greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion and on user engagement. Heads of Profession also need to be better supported and their role strengthened to ensure statistical integrity in all government departments.

“I’m looking forward to seeing this strategy – which I broadly welcome – put into practice.”

Ben Broadbent, Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy, Bank of England said:

“Over the past five years the ONS took some important steps forward in delivering high-quality economic statistics. While economic measurement in a changing economy will always remain a challenge, this also brings great opportunities. I welcome the UKSA’s flexible, inquisitive approach, at the heart of their new strategy, which should enable the ONS to meet this challenge by fully taking advantage of new, emerging data sources, and cutting-edge data-science methods. I look forward to using these new and improved economic statistics in the Bank’s policy decisions over the coming years.”

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive Local Government Association:

“I welcome the launch of the UK Statistics Authority’s new strategy and, in particular, its focus on a radically different publication model for analytical information which includes granular information.  The COVID-19 pandemic has brought sharply into focus the need for quality data and information to be available at local authority level and below, and the Local Government Association will be pleased to support the Authority with this.”

William Wragg MP, Chair of Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee: