Conclusion 6

While there have been enormous problems at the ONS, we also note that not all the commentary about the ONS’s performance has been well-informed, or constructive. Attempts to right long-standing, historical problems have sometimes been used as evidence of the ONS’s ineptitude, rather than as necessary steps which help us better understand the UK economy and society. Good news stories, such as the immense transformation of migration statistics or the introduction of new data sources into inflation data, have attracted far less attention. (Conclusion, Paragraph 40)