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| UK statistics review launched by Sir Charlie Bean | UK statistics review launched by Sir Charlie Bean |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| An independent review of the UK's economic statistics has been launched by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Charlie Bean. | An independent review of the UK's economic statistics has been launched by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Charlie Bean. |
| It will consider whether the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is well-placed to cope with future challenges. | It will consider whether the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is well-placed to cope with future challenges. |
| Chancellor George Osborne commissioned the review at the time of last month's Budget and is expecting interim recommendations in the autumn. | Chancellor George Osborne commissioned the review at the time of last month's Budget and is expecting interim recommendations in the autumn. |
| It is calling for submissions from users of statistics by 25 September. | It is calling for submissions from users of statistics by 25 September. |
| Among the areas the review will consider will be whether the producers of official statistics are well-placed to keep pace with the latest advances in data collection. | Among the areas the review will consider will be whether the producers of official statistics are well-placed to keep pace with the latest advances in data collection. |
| In an interview with the Financial Times, Sir Charlie said: "As an economy develops, the traditional ways of thinking about it cease to be so relevant." | In an interview with the Financial Times, Sir Charlie said: "As an economy develops, the traditional ways of thinking about it cease to be so relevant." |
| Earlier this year, the ONS appointed open data expert Heather Savory as its deputy national statistician in charge of data capability. | Earlier this year, the ONS appointed open data expert Heather Savory as its deputy national statistician in charge of data capability. |
| Among her successes so far has been modernising the software used by ONS staff and their wifi arrangements. | Among her successes so far has been modernising the software used by ONS staff and their wifi arrangements. |
| However, staff exploring the possibilities offered by alternative data sources have had problems with the ONS's IT firewall. Attempts to modernise - for example, by including figures from online supermarket shopping in the inflation figures - seem to have been progressing slowly. | However, staff exploring the possibilities offered by alternative data sources have had problems with the ONS's IT firewall. Attempts to modernise - for example, by including figures from online supermarket shopping in the inflation figures - seem to have been progressing slowly. |
| Return to London? | Return to London? |
| The latest review has been commissioned almost exactly a year after Dame Kate Barker published her own independent review of the national accounts and balance of payments statistics. | The latest review has been commissioned almost exactly a year after Dame Kate Barker published her own independent review of the national accounts and balance of payments statistics. |
| She suggested that the ONS should establish a team of economists, possibly in London, which would allow it to draw on expertise from other government departments. | She suggested that the ONS should establish a team of economists, possibly in London, which would allow it to draw on expertise from other government departments. |
| The ONS announced in 2007 that it was moving all of the statistical work that it carried out in London to other parts of the country, with most of the functions relocating to Newport. The vast majority of the existing staff decided not to relocate. | |
| Also in the past year, Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson published a review of the ONS measures of inflation, which encouraged the government to stop using the retail prices index as soon as possible because of its flawed methodology. | Also in the past year, Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson published a review of the ONS measures of inflation, which encouraged the government to stop using the retail prices index as soon as possible because of its flawed methodology. |
| There was some surprise in 2013 when the ONS decided to leave the methodology behind the RPI unchanged despite identifying problems with the calculation that meant it overestimated inflation. | There was some surprise in 2013 when the ONS decided to leave the methodology behind the RPI unchanged despite identifying problems with the calculation that meant it overestimated inflation. |