Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Conclusion 10
Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
Published 15 Mar 2021
Paragraph 81
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Data Transparency and Accountability: Covid 19 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Building trust between leaders and the public is essential to the response. The evidence the Committee has received, including from behavioural scientists, shows that people respond to open and honest information that is clear about the uncertainties within it. Some data has been communicated with the apparent intention of creating a more favourable view of the Government and some data has appeared to have been used to provoke anxiety rather than help people understand risk. It is disappointing to hear that the way data has been presented might have undermined public trust.
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions (HC 803), paragraph 81, 15 March 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 25 May 2021 (deadline 15 May 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds point by point, agreeing with some aims but stating that it "does not agree that a change is necessary to the Ministerial Code" and, on several recommendations, referring to earlier letters or existing practice.
- On publishing data behind quoted statistics, it is "committed to transparency" and "will endeavour to publish all statistics and underlying data when referenced publicly", in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
- It disagrees with strengthening the Ministerial Code, stating that there will be occasions where it is in the public interest to use "emerging information", and it points to the existing wording that Ministers should be "mindful" of good practice.
- On the health data review, it agrees cross-organisational working matters and will "consider the merits of conducting a broader review" once the draft Data Strategy and other work are complete. It has agreed that the Office for Statistics Regulation will carry out a lessons learned exercise "once the immediate challenges of pandemic response have passed".
- It states that the Prime Minister confirmed on 12 May a statutory public inquiry that "will begin its work in spring 2022".