Home / Sources / Select Committees / 18th Report - Governance of official statistics: redefining…
Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

18th Report - Governance of official statistics: redefining the dual role of the UK Statistics Authority; and re-evaluating the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007

HC 1820 Published 18 July 2019

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Governance of Statistics inquiry Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glanceGovernment response published 3 October 2019

The government's response

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The UK Statistics Authority thanks the Committee and says it will consider the recommendations "very carefully", while agreeing that "legislative change is unnecessary" and setting out changes to its own policies and practices.

  • The Authority "agrees" that it needs a leading role on technology, data science, data sharing and linking and data ethics.
  • On separation of functions, it "agrees with witnesses" that legislative change is unnecessary, but accepts the separation "can be made more visible". It will "explore arrangements" for the Head of the OSR to be a Secondary Accounting Officer.
  • On transparency, it will ensure Board minutes are published "in a timely fashion" and will "in future" publish Regulation Committee minutes.
  • On the Retail Prices Index, it "regret[s]" that no change will occur before 2025 but welcomes the Chancellor's intention to consult, and will consult on the method of making the change.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Sources