Recommendation 17

We welcome initiatives by the ONS to improve the quality of its regional data, for instance by producing quarterly regional GDP figures. The Treasury publishing regional data in its March Budget is also a good first step towards increasing the profile of regional data. Such data will be vital in the wake of the crisis to assess the impact on different regions and sectors. While the OBR’s and Bank’s remits are primarily national, showing regional variations can enrich users’ understanding of the economy and enable policy makers to better understand the differentiated impact of the coronavirus on various regions and sectors of the UK economy and how best to implement and measure the Government’s “levelling up” strategy.