MPs to hold evidence session on how the Government collects data, work of the ONS and future of the Census
The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee will this morning hold its first evidence session as part of its Transforming the UK’s Evidence Base inquiry, hearing from Professor Sir Ian Diamond, the UK’s National Statistician.
Meeting details
The session will explore how the UK currently collects and publishes statistics and analysis, how well different parts of government work together, and how the system is evolving in an increasingly data-driven world. It will also investigate how other nations produce and communicate statistics and analysis to compare best practice.
MPs are also likely to examine the work of the ONS, particularly its recent proposals to end the ten-yearly census in England and Wales. The proposed move towards producing key national indicators by using existing sources of data, such as civil registration and tax records, as well as new and emerging sources, such as geospatial data and data derived from the digital operations of commercial companies, would represent a significant change from the current census model.
The evidence session also aims to cover how data collection varies between the four nations of the UK, and what impact this might have on our ability to compare the experiences of citizens across the country.