Select Committee · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base

Status: Closed Opened: 14 Nov 2023 Closed: 24 May 2024 15 recommendations 21 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry is exploring how officials produce statistics and analysis, how demands for data are changing, and whether the privacy of citizens is being adequately protected as new and innovative sources become available.

Reports

1 report

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Fifth Report - Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base	HC 197	24 May 2024	36	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items

1 Conclusion Fifth Report - Transforming the UK’s Ev… Rejected

UK public data landscape demonstrates strengths in independence, innovation, and regulatory framework.

There is much to be proud of across the UK’s public data-landscape. The independence of its statisticians from the government of the day, the innovative work being undertaken by a skilled researcher community, and our unique regulatory framework all received praise from our witnesses.

Government response. The government rejects a specific 'recommended programme structure' for data sharing, instead committing to its own comprehensive approach including reinvigorating DSIT's digital centre and creating a National Data Library.

26 Recommendation Fifth Report - Transforming the UK’s Ev… Rejected

Require Government to publish evidence and data underpinning announced policy decisions.

We concur with Lord Maude’s recent recommendation that, when a policy decision is announced, the Government should publish the evidence and data underpinning that decision.

Government response. The Government rejects the recommendation to publish evidence and data underpinning policy decisions. They assert that departments determine data sharing based on considerations like public safety, commercial sensitivity, and international relations.

27 Recommendation Fifth Report - Transforming the UK’s Ev… Rejected

Routinely publish evidence for major policy announcements and develop options to deliver this.

We recommend that, at a minimum, governments in future routinely publish the evidence and data underpinning their major policy announcements. Making this happen will not be a straightforward task, and we suggest that in the first instance leaders of the analysis and communications functions develop options to deliver this ambition, …

Government response. The Government rejects the recommendation to routinely publish evidence and data underpinning major policy announcements. They state that such decisions lie with individual departments, who consider transparency alongside factors like public safety and commercial sensitivity.

35 Recommendation Fifth Report - Transforming the UK’s Ev… Rejected

Jointly review varying data ethics frameworks for greater consistency and accountability mechanisms across government.

It is now time to consolidate the excellent exploratory work that has been done on data ethics, and to embed it more formally into the collection, analysis, and communication of evidence in the UK. We recommend that the Cabinet Office’s Central Digital and Data Office and the Office for National …

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation for a joint review of data ethics frameworks, citing existing close collaboration and the need for flexibility over consistency. They plan to update the CDDO data ethics framework by the end of 2025 and assess …

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions

Date	Witnesses
12 Mar 2024	Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG · Cabinet Office, Professor Denise Lievesley CBE · Oxford University, Steffan Jones · Cabinet Office	View ↗
6 Feb 2024	Ed Humpherson · Office for Statistics Regulation	View ↗
5 Dec 2023	Gavin Freeguard · Connected by Data, John Edwards · Information Commissioner's Office, Reema Patel · Ipsos UK	View ↗
9 Nov 2023	Chris Morris · Full Fact, Dr Gemma Tetlow · Institute for Government, Hetan Shah · British Academy	View ↗
5 Sep 2023	Professor Sir Ian Diamond · Office for National Statistics	View ↗

Correspondence

4 letters

Date	Direction	Title
12 Mar 2024	To cttee	Letter from Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician, UK Statistics Aut…
9 Jan 2024	To cttee	Letter from Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician on supplementary w…
19 Dec 2023	To cttee	Letter from John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner on follow-up after the or…
17 Oct 2023	To cttee	Letter from Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician to on follow up wr…