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Governance of Statistics inquiry

Inquiry

Government Response

16th Special Report - Governance of official statistics: redefining the dual role UK Statistics Authority; and re-evaluating the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007: The UK Statistics Authority response to the Committee's 18th Report

Scope of the inquiry

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has launched a new inquiry, examining the role and performance of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA).

Created as an independent body in 2008, UKSA has a statutory objective to promote and safeguard official statistics that ‘serve the public good’. It exists to inform the public, help develop and evaluate policy, regulate quality and challenge the misuse of statistics.

UKSA’s remit covers the Government Statistical Service, the Office for National Statistics, and the Office for Statistics Regulation, which together make the UK’s official statistics system, with a stated mission “to mobilise the power of data to help Britain make better decisions.”

In its inquiry, the Committee will examine whether this mission is being achieved, UKSA’s wider performance since it was formed, and the challenges it is likely to face in the future.