Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 14 Nov 2023 Closed: 24 May 2024 Parliament page
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.
15 Recommendations
21 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
4 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 16 events
6 Mar
2025
Report published
24 May
2024
Report published
12 Mar
2024
Oral evidence
12 Mar
2024
Correspondence
12 Mar
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
6 Feb
2024
Oral evidence
6 Feb
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
9 Jan
2024
Correspondence
19 Dec
2023
Correspondence
5 Dec
2023
Oral evidence
5 Dec
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
9 Nov
2023
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
12 Mar 2024
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Transforming the UK’s Statistical Evidence Base
Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG · Cabinet Office Professor Denise Lievesley CBE · Oxford University Steffan Jones · Cabinet Office
6 Feb 2024
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Transforming the UK’s Statistical Evidence Base
Ed Humpherson · Office for Statistics Regulation
5 Dec 2023
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Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base
Gavin Freeguard · Connected by Data John Edwards · Information Commissioner's Office Reema Patel · Ipsos UK
9 Nov 2023
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Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base
Chris Morris · Full Fact Dr Gemma Tetlow · Institute for Government Hetan Shah · British Academy
5 Sep 2023
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Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base
Professor Sir Ian Diamond · Office for National Statistics
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base HC 197 24 May 2024 36 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
Clear
7 Recommendation Deferred
Fifth Report - Transforming the UK…
Review exclusion of health and social care data from Digital Economy Act 2017.
While time in this Parliament now runs short, we recommend that the next Government review the exclusion of health and social care data from the Digital Economy Act 2017. There are understandable sensitivities around the sharing of health data, but … Read more
Government Response
The Government accepts the recommendation but states that HM Treasury would consider findings of any future reports from the UKSA (subject to responses to other recommendations) to inform funding decisions related to public evidence, rather than directly committing to review the Digital Economy Act's exclusion of health and social care data.
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11 Recommendation Deferred
Fifth Report - Transforming the UK…
Establish UK Statistics Authority framework for prioritising evidence demands and submit triennial findings to Parliament.
It is time to democratise access to data and evidence. The UK Statistics Authority should establish a framework for identifying and prioritising demands for evidence. We recommend that it use a high-level Assembly (of the kind recently recommended by Professor … Read more
Government Response
The government response does not address the committee's recommendation to establish a framework and high-level assembly for evidence demands, nor to report findings to Parliament. Instead, it discusses the ONS's plans to review the Analysis Function's scope and standard, evaluate its impact by Q2 2025/26, and update its strategy.
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13 Recommendation Deferred
Fifth Report - Transforming the UK…
Use OSR data gap reports to inform Treasury funding decisions for public evidence.
We recommend that in its conduct of future Spending Reviews, HM Treasury uses the findings from these reports to inform the decisions it takes on the funding of activity relating to the collection, analysis and communication of public evidence.
Government Response
The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) is exploring ways to provide Intelligent Transparency materials online, developing new social media guidance, and refreshing the Code to articulate IT standards more clearly. It states it already encourages transparency around policy announcements but does not commit HM Treasury to using report findings in future Spending Reviews.
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14 Conclusion Deferred
Fifth Report - Transforming the UK…
Confirm Government support for the public good principle of statistics in response to report.
We ask the Government to confirm, in its response to this report, that it supports the principle - enshrined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 - that statistics are for the public good; and that the public good … Read more
Government Response
The government response does not confirm support for the principle that statistics are for the public good, as requested. Instead, it discusses the ONS's acceptance of a recommendation to develop options for Ministers on the routine publication of evidence and data underpinning major policy announcements.
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15 Conclusion Deferred
Fifth Report - Transforming the UK…
Inadequate data comparability across UK nations hinders public service evaluation.
It is disappointing that - despite the ever-increasing amount of data available to policy-makers - there are many areas in which it is impossible to compare the experiences of those living in each of the four nations of the UK. … Read more
Government Response
The government response does not address the committee's conclusion regarding the lack of comparable data across the four nations of the UK. Instead, it states the ONS accepts a recommendation for the Analysis Function to explore options for improving transparency around the use of personal data in official analyses, with work to be completed by Q4 2025/26, subject to funding.
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Government Response AI assessment · 34 of 15 classified
Accepted 20
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 4
Deferred 5
Rejected 4
Total 15 recs + 21 conclusions
Correspondence 4 letters
12 Mar 2024 To committee Letter from Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician, UK Statistics Authority on additional written evidence following the 5.9.23 oral evidence session, dated 6.3.24
Parliament page
9 Jan 2024 To committee Letter from Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician on supplementary written evidence after 5.9.23 oral evidence session, dated 18.12.23
Parliament page
19 Dec 2023 To committee Letter from John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner on follow-up after the oral evidence session on 5.12.23, dated 12.12.23
Parliament page
17 Oct 2023 To committee Letter from Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician to on follow up written evidence after 5.9.23 oral evidence session, dated 5.10.23
Parliament page