Committee publication · Correspondence · 30 June 2026

Letter from Ed Humpherson, Director General, Office for Statistics Regulation on the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) State of the Statistical System Report, dated 25.6.26

From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Inquiry: The work of the UK Statistics Authority

Summary

Ed Humpherson, Director General of the Office for Statistics Regulation, writes to inform the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee of the publication of the OSR's annual State of the Statistical System Report. The letter highlights that the UK statistical system faces resource constraints and leadership transition, requiring difficult prioritisation decisions. Five key recommendations have been issued to the incoming National Statistician covering resources, survey quality, AI use, and Code of Practice implementation.

Key findings

OSR's State of the Statistical System Report identifies resource constraints forcing visible prioritisation decisions across the statistical system
The report highlights a period of leadership transition coinciding with the appointment of a new National Statistician
Five key recommendations focus on: resources and capacity, survey quality, Statistics Assembly priorities delivery, artificial intelligence use in official statistics, and Code of Practice implementation
OSR identifies that clearer system leadership is needed in these priority areas

Tone

Procedural

Topics

public-statisticspublic-administrationresource-managementartificial-intelligence

Key actors

Ed Humpherson, Office for Statistics Regulation, Simon Hoare MP, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, UK Statistics Authority, National Statistician, Government Statistical Service

Notable line

“… the statistical system in the UK is increasingly having to make difficult choices - is particularly pertinent.”

Key Quotes

“… the statistical system in the UK is increasingly having to make difficult choices - is particularly pertinent.”
— Ed Humpherson · Describing the central theme of the OSR State of the Statistical System Report

“The system is working in a period of leadership transition, and one where resource constraints mean prioritisation decisions are becoming more visible”
— Ed Humpherson · Explaining the context for the report's findings

“We have made five key recommendations focused on areas where clearer system leadership is needed”
— Ed Humpherson · Introducing the recommendations to the incoming National Statistician

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗