MPs to examine whether reform required to improve UK’s evidence base
Representatives from Full Fact, the Institute for Government, and the British Academy will appear before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee in a public hearing on improving official data, on Thursday 9 November at 10am.
Meeting details
Continuing its inquiry into transforming the UK’s evidence base, the Committee will likely question witnesses on how effectively Government data collection and analysis serves public debate and research.
Topics for discussion will also likely include concerns about the quality of the UK’s economic data, the nation’s statistical literacy, and whether public bodies communicate statistics well.
In an earlier session, the UK’s National Statistician Sir Ian Diamond discussed the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) recent proposal to end the UK’s 10-yearly census. The upcoming session is an opportunity for MPs to gather views on Sir Ian’s plan from those whose work depends on data collected as part of the census.
The session may also cover how data collection varies across the UK and how this impacts public bodies’ ability to draw fair and accurate comparisons.