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Select Committee · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Data Transparency and Accountability: Covid 19

Status: Closed Opened: 16 Sep 2020 Closed: 3 May 2021 19 recommendations 16 conclusions 1 report

The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted how important data is to Government for decision making, and the significance of data transparency for the public and Parliament in holding Government to account. This inquiry was focused on decision making and transparency in response to Covid 19, using this as a case study to draw out recommendations … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability … HC 803 15 Mar 2021 35 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
4 Conclusion Eighth Report - Government transparency… Rejected

Statistics quoted by Ministers have not always been underpinned by published data, which goes against...

Statistics quoted by Ministers have not always been underpinned by published data, which goes against the UKSA Code of Practice. Publishing the underlying data is key to transparency and building trust. When the underlying data is not published, numbers may be used to make politicised points and members of the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees that statistics should build confidence, noting ministers are subject to the Code of Practice. However, it rejects changing the Ministerial Code, arguing it is sometimes in the public interest to use emerging information not yet underpinned by published data.
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Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
4 Feb 2021 Clara Swinson · Department for Health and Social Care, Helen Whately MP, James Bowler CB · HM Treasury, Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP · Cabinet Office View ↗
19 Jan 2021 Dr David Halpern, Dr Richard Fletcher · Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Ed Conway, Professor Steve Reicher, Richard Earley View ↗
16 Dec 2020 Andrew Goodacre · The British Independent Retailers Association, Bill Sweeney, Emma McClarkin · British Beer and Pub Association, Julian Bird View ↗
24 Nov 2020 Dr Ben Worthy · Birkbeck, University of London, Prof Sir David John Spiegelhalter OBE FRS, Prof Sylvia Richardson CBE, Will Moy · Full Fact View ↗
5 Nov 2020 Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Councillor Alison Evison, Councillor Georgia Gould, Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Jeanelle de Gruchy, Joanne Roney OBE · Solace, Phil Roberts, Steven Grimmond View ↗
22 Sep 2020 Ed Humpherson · UK Statistics Authority, Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician · Office for National Statistics View ↗

Who gave evidence

27 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Andrew Goodacre · CEO The British Independent Retailers Association 1
Bill Sweeney — 1
Clara Swinson · Director General Department for Health and Social Care 1
Cllr Hugh Evans OBE — 1
Councillor Alison Evison — 1
Councillor Georgia Gould — 1
Councillor Ian Hudspeth — 1
Dr Ben Worthy · Senior Lecturer, Department of Politics Birkbeck, University of London 1
Dr David Halpern — 1
Dr Richard Fletcher Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism 1
Ed Conway — 1
Ed Humpherson UK Statistics Authority 1
Emma McClarkin · Chief Executive British Beer and Pub Association 1
Helen Whately MP — 1
James Bowler CB · Permanent Secretary HM Treasury 1
Jeanelle de Gruchy — 1
Joanne Roney OBE Solace 1
Julian Bird — 1
Phil Roberts — 1
Prof Sir David John Spiegelhalter OBE FRS — 1
Prof Sylvia Richardson CBE — 1
Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician · National Statistician Office for National Statistics 1
Professor Steve Reicher — 1
Richard Earley — 1
Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP Cabinet Office 1
Steven Grimmond — 1
Will Moy Full Fact 1

Correspondence

27 letters
DateDirectionTitle
6 Jul 2021 — Correspondence with Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancast…
24 Mar 2021 To cttee Letter from Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on the Committee's Eighth Repo…
24 Mar 2021 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Ca…
19 Mar 2021 From cttee Letter to Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster requesti…
2 Mar 2021 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, Paymaster General on data transparency an…
2 Mar 2021 From cttee Letter to Chloe Smith MP, Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution…
25 Feb 2021 From cttee Letter to Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Mini…
23 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Helen Whately MP, Minister of State for Care on data transparency a…
9 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Sir David Norgrove, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority to Chair, …
9 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician to Chair, dated 9.…
5 Feb 2021 From cttee Letter to Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Mini…
2 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Ed Humpherson, Director General for Regulation, UK Statistics Autho…
2 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from James Bowler, Permanent Secretary, Covid Taskforce on Cabinet Offic…
2 Feb 2021 — Letter Nadhim Zahawi MP, Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment on Covid-19 vacc…
12 Jan 2021 From cttee Letter to the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on C…
12 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from Steve Baker MP on the Government’s use of epidemiological modelling…
12 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from Andrew Goodacre, CEO of the British Independent Retailers Associati…
16 Dec 2020 To cttee Letter from Professor Sylvia Richardson CBE, President-Elect of the Royal Stati…
15 Dec 2020 To cttee Letter from Steve Baker MP on methodological issues in epidemiological modellin…
10 Dec 2020 To cttee Letter from the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster o…