How we support data users

At the Office for National Statistics (ONS) we are working with analysts from across government to improve the coherence of UK statistics.

Statistical coherence is a cross-cutting theme from the Code of Practice for Statistics. This is about bringing together outputs on the same topic to better explain the part of the world they describe. This can be across the four nations of the UK where policy making has been devolved (such as housing) or where multiple producers are publishing statistics on the same topic (such as income and earnings).

The Concordat on Statistics highlights the responsibility of the UK government and devolved governments in producing "coherent and comparable statistics at international, UK and other sub-UK levels" while also recognising the different statistical requirements of the legislation and priorities of each nation.

It is our mission to provide UK-wide high-quality statistics, data and insights. A joined-up statistical picture across the UK allows for deeper and wider insight, which in turn helps users and policy makers in their decision making.

Producers of official statistics across the UK have set out the work under way to improve the coherence of statistics on several statistical themes. These coherence plans for April 2024 to March 2025 are available from the Analysis Function website.

More information and contact details are available on the specific topic areas set out in this section.

Adult social care statistics

This work is led by the Four Social Care Group, made up of members from:

• Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC)
• NHS England
• Department of Health Northern Ireland
• Office for National Statistics (ONS)
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government

You can contact the Four Social Care Group by emailing social.care@ons.gov.uk.

Further information is available at the Health and care statistics and Adult social care statistics webpages.

Crime and justice

This work is led by the Government Statistical Service (GSS) Crime and Justice Working Group and the Centre for Crime and Justice at the ONS.

You can contact the teams working in this topic area by emailing crime.statistics@ons.gov.uk.

Further information is available at our Centre for Crime and Justice webpage.

Environment, climate and nature

This work is led by the new GSS theme group, chaired by the ONS, and vice-chaired by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

You can contact the theme group by emailing environment@ons.gov.uk.

Data and statistics on this topic is available from the ONS and central government via the GOV.UK website, and for devolved governments via the Welsh Government, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency websites.

Equalities

This work is led by different teams within the Health, Population and Methods Group at the ONS.

You can contact the teams working in this topic area by emailing equalities@ons.gov.uk.

Further information is available at the  UK Statistics Authority Inclusive Data Taskforce, National Statistician's Inclusive Data Advisory Committee (NSIDAC) and GSS Harmonisation webpages.

Health

This work is led by:

• Health Leadership Forum
• Cross-UK Data and Statistics Group
• United Kingdom Health Statistics Steering Group (UKHSSG)

You can contact the teams working in this topic area by emailing gss.health@ons.gov.uk.

Further information is available at the Health and care statistics webpage.

Housing, homelessness and rough sleeping

This work is led by:

• GSS Housing Statistics Working Group
• GSS Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Statistics Working Group
• GSS Housing Steering Group
• GSS Private Rental Sector Working Group

You can contact the teams working in this topic area by emailing gss.housing@ons.gov.uk.

Further information is available at the Housing, homelessness and planning statistics and Cross-government work programme webpages.

Income and earnings

This work is led by the GSS Income and Earnings Coherence Steering Group and the ONS Technical Engagement Division.

The GSS Income and Earnings Coherence Steering Group is made up of members from:

• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• ONS

You can contact the teams working in this topic area by emailing gss.income.earnings@ons.gov.uk.

Further information is available at the Income and earnings statistics coherence webpage.

Population and migration

This work is led by:

• ONS
• National Records for Scotland (NRS)
• Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
• Welsh Government (WG)

You can contact the teams working in this topic area by emailing pop.info@ons.gov.uk.

Further information is available in our How population and migration statistics are evolving article, our The future of population and migration: a statistical design methodology and our Population statistics and sources guide.

Trade and investment

This work is led by:

• Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• ONS
• Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government

You can contact the teams working in this topic area and find out more information by emailing Global.Tade.&.Investment@ons.gov.uk.

There are many partnerships and initiatives across the analytical community and beyond that have been designed to join up the UK analytical system. These include:

• Analysis Function Strategy
• User Engagement Strategy for Statistics
• GSS Harmonisation Workplan
• GSS Subnational Data Strategy
• Inclusive Data Taskforce Implementation Plan
• the Government Data Quality Framework

You can read more about these on the Analysis Function website.

If you want to get involved or have questions about the work we are doing, please email gss.coherence@ons.gov.uk.