Official Statistics: Counting with Confidence

Abstract

The Working Party was set up by the Royal Statistical Society because of widespread criticism of UK official statistics collected and reported by the Government Statistical Service. That Service has to be of fine quality, earning and enjoying public confidence and providing accurate, timely and cost-effective data both for governmental and for public use. The Working Party found no evidence of a lack of integrity among government statisticians. However, the organizational and operational framework of the Government Statistical Service is regarded as inadequate. Accordingly four important sets of recommendations are made. Their acceptance is fundamental for the achievement of a high quality of service linked to full public confidence in official statistics.