1. Plenary Session on the Future of the Census – there are suggestions that, possibly, the 2021 census shall be the last.  The timing is such that there are only two Assembly’s at which the 2031 alternative can be discussed, this one and one in 2028.
2. Breakout Session on Quality and Methods – concerns with code of practice and the details required for inclusion in QMI reports suggest this as an important session.
3. Breakout Session on Open Data – everyone agrees that open data is important – but who should have access?
4. Plenary Session on Labour Force Transformation – the difficulties experienced with Labour Market Statistics are now well known; this would be an important session for consideration of possible solutions.
5. Plenary Session on Business Statistics – this session offers the unique opportunity to hear about some alternative statistics from Business people!
6. Workshop on Public Understanding and Engagement – this workshop is proposed to focus on the ONS website to identify how far it contributes to public understanding of official statistics.
7. Workshop on Health Statistics – there are many, many sources for health statistics – what are the real needs?
8. Pre-reading document describing UKSA Structure – this is suggested because of the evidence from the survey of respondents’ general lack of awareness of the structure and the roles of its various elements.

Background  to the proposals:

Better Statistics were pleased to learn of the appointment of Professor Denise Lievesley CBE to conduct an Independent Review of the UK Statistics Authority in June 2023, and we were anxious to assist the process as much as possible.  Accordingly we organised a special conference for 19^th September 2023, details of which are available as What is the Future for UKSA?  This full day event provided the opportunity to examine various aspects of UKSA’s operations with a closing keynote speech from UKSA Chairman, Sir Robert Chote, in which he confirmed his intention to support any recommendations that Professor Lievesley might make as a result of her review.

Professor Lievesley’s report was published on 12^th March 2024 and provided a total of 19 recommendations[1]; BSC then set up a public access survey for our associates and others to provide their reactions to each of those recommendations.  The results are published as the Final Report, evidencing a range of opinions on each recommendation, with none of them receiving universal support, emphasising the difficulty of the task the professor had embarked upon.

The first recommendation in Professor Lievesley’s report was that UKSA should hold a Triennial Conference to “involve key organisations inside and outside Government and across the four nations, with the remit of determining the UK’s needs for statistics through a wide consultative process. This should include the private sector, government departments, local government, academia, think tanks and media representatives.”

Session 1: Plenary Session on the Future of the Census

Discussion Topic: Census Future
Themes: Innovation, Regional and Local, Data linkage and integration
It has been suggested that the increasing use of administrative date may provide much of the data we normally associate with a census and that, as a result, there may be no requirement for a Census in 2031 or that the requirement will be severely limited. There are many users who are seriously concerned by this possibility and, since the Assembly will only be every three years, there will only be one other opportunity for it to review the subject prior to the 2031 census. We therefore consider it very important that the Census should be an agenda item for the 22nd – an opinion endorsed by the survey result that Population Statistics are the single most important Topic to be discussed at the Assembly. We therefore believe this should be a plenary item.
The discussion will present User concerns with proposed future Census approaches, the reasons for those concerns, and how Users could work with ONS to address potential issues Continue reading here

Session 2:Breakout Session on Quality and Methods

Proposed Contribution to the issue of Quality and Methods

Discussion Topic: Quality and Methods
Theme: Improving Current and Future methods of government statistics
The Better Statistics survey identified this as the (equal) second most important Topic to discuss at the Assembly. The discussion will present user concerns with the quality and methods of UKSA’s data emphasising the need for complete transparency and greater interaction with users; considering the use and reporting of pilot work and learning from the private sector. The discussion should include a review of the trade off between quality and cost and how to evaluate the risk of unreliable information. Continue reading here

Session 3:Breakout Session on Open Data

Proposed Contribution to the Topic of PROVIDING BETTER ACCESS TO OPEN DATA

Themes: Improving public access to supporting data for govt statistics, for the purpose of further analysis, Collaboration
Better Statistics associates considered this to be an important Topic to discuss at the Assembly and we propose that all public data should be openly and fully published at the lowest/rawest level of aggregation that is consistent with respecting individual privacy.
The discussion will present User arguments for better access to data, the benefits that better access would bring to all, concerns with the current limitations placed on access, the reasons for those concerns, and how Users could work with ONS to address potential improvements. Continue reading here

Session 4:Plenary Session on Labour Force Transformation

Discussion Topic: Labour Force Survey Future Theme: Commitment to user engagement and consultation, Increase User trust in UKSA, Assure users that progress is being made with data sharing and the use of Administrative data, Facilitate frank and open discussion about data quality issues and future challenges

Better Statistics’ Associates are concerned about the reporting of the accuracy of the LFS – for example the Financial Times has said that ‘Gaps in labour market figures are hampering policymakers, businesses and researchers’. Moreover, Recommendation 14 of the Lievesley report was: The UKSA should engage with the Cabinet Office to explore the consequences of mandatory completion of the Labour Force Survey. Continue reading here

Session 5:Plenary Session on Business Statistics

Discussion Topic: What Business Data are we missing?
Themes: Innovation, Real Time Data; Collaboration
We’re suggesting a breakout session focussed on “What Statistics about Business would Economists prefer to see?”

Better Statistics CIC was originally known as the Campaign for Better Business Statistics, which had been formed as a result of a long-held belief by the principals that official statistics underestimated the economic contribution of small businesses and the self-employed. Subsequently, our engagement with various business organisations has endorsed the notion that UKSA is unaware of important ideas circulating in part of the business world. Our idea for this session is to open up some of those ideas for further consideration. Continue reading here

Session 6:Workshop on Public Understanding and Engagement – focus on the website

Proposal for a Workshop to review the ONS Website:

Themes: Trust, engaging the Public, to improve public perception of government statistics and also contributing to the issue of Use of Statistics and Misinformation
As indicated by the comments provided below Better Statistics Associates who had replied to the survey had considered the above themes to have been extremely important.
Via a workshop that provides the opportunity to ‘move’ through the website from topic to topic, at users request, we will explore the effectiveness of the site and discover user needs. This will include questions of misinformation by reviewing data output, reports and QMI’s Continue reading here

Session 7:Workshop on Health Statistics

This is suggested as a specific breakout session for users with an interest in Health Statistics.
Our National Health Service is by far the most expensive element of our State, employing approximately 1.5 million persons directly, with tens of thousands of others also dependent on it for their livelihood. Unsurprisingly the cost per household is in excess of £6,250 per annum and the workshop is to identify what information UKSA should be providing the people, to understand what value we receive for the £187 billion spent in the last year Continue reading here

Pre-reading document describing UKSA Structure

Topic/ Theme: User Understanding of UKSA
Proposed Mode – Pre-reading material for all Delegates
The suggestion for this contribution to the Assembly is based on the responses of 40 BSC associates to some questions we asked in a recent short survey – the answers to which surprised us. And we feel that if our associates don’t really understand the structure of UKSA – then many others may not understand it either. We therefore recommend that UKSA should produce a note describing the Structure of UKSA to be sent to all delegates prior to the Assembly as pre-reading briefing.
We also note, from the Lievesley report itself: …However the UKSA, ONS and OSR should take additional steps in order to better clarify how the organisations work together in practice and how the OSR holds ONS to account. Continue reading here