1. Right Statistics Jil Matheson, National Statistician

2. How have things changed for the Government Statistical Service? BudgetsOutputsPeople

3. Departmental budgets have got smaller..... Budgets Annual Budget, £m Financial Year

4. Outputs The GSS has reduced the number of outputs it produces.... Outputs in 2011: 1136 Outputs in 2012: 932 Outputs in 2010: 1085

5. There are more professional statisticians in the Civil Service now... People

6. ...and more people in analytical posts generally People

7. When faced with budget reductions - what do you do? Department of Communities and Local Government - The Citizenship Survey Department of Culture, Media and Sport - Target Group Index statistics on arts attendance Health and Social Care Information Centre - Prescription Cost Analysis Statistics STOPREDUCEREDESIGN Stopping/reducing/redesigning outputs may not be a bad thing..... Department of Energy and Climate Change - Changes to the publication of monthly coal statistics MoD (Defence and Analytical Services Agency) - Changes to DASA's annual manpower national statistics publications Home Office/ONS - Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) ( Previously the British Crime Survey) Ministry of Justice – Transforming Criminal Justice Statistics (and new Public Disorder Statistics) Department for Transport – Traffic counts website - access to annual average daily flow traffic count data for the British A road and motorway network ONS/DWP – Gateway opened to give access to DWP Customer Information System data – for Beyond 2011

8. Statistics the UK needs Across a decentralised official statistics system, agreeing priorities centrally is very difficult - Some products are very important to a few users, but not top priority overall - Difficult to identify a process to determine priority statistics, even at the top level Seeking to establish a clear view of the priorities for official statistics - Important to take a broad view to identify those statistics that should be part of the core national infrastructure There are two elements: - the need to identify the key "statistics the UK needs - to challenge and improve the methods and manner of production so that statistics present the best value for money and make the right impact

9. How do you decide what the right work programme is? Questions to ask: Essential to consider broad user perspective: It is difficult! Are we producing what is required? Are we getting maximum value from what we do? Can we do things in new ways? Are we staffed at the right capacity to meet our obligations and future needs? What should the criteria be for determining core statistics? What would be the benefit to users in knowing what statistics the UK needs? How should we capture user views? Who decides?

10. Civil Service Reform plan – building capabilities The Civil Service does not always have the right capabilities in the right place to do what is needed. There are significant gaps in capability and skills which need to be filled if the Civil Service is to be able to meet todays and tomorrows challenges. Everyone needs the right combination of professionalism, expert skills and subject matter expertise. The Capabilities Plan will also strengthen the authority and influence of the Civil Service professions. The Heads of Profession operate as cross-Government leaders, and have an essential role in improving skills and maintaining professional standards. The Plan will boost the importance of their role in raising standards, departmental appointments, succession planning and talent management.

11. National.statistician@statistics.gsi.gov.uk Conclusions Budgets down, need for statistics up Capability is core Use it, dont lose it