Committee publication · Correspondence · 24 February 2026
Letter from Penny Young, Interim Chair, UK Statistics Authority on the Review of Board Effectiveness report, dated 12.2.26
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Summary
Penny Young, Interim Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, transmits an independent external review of Board effectiveness conducted by Mo Baines in November–December 2025. The review finds the Authority in recovery with improved culture, stronger Board scrutiny of the Office for National Statistics, and positive momentum under interim leadership, though acknowledges ongoing challenges in economic statistics recovery, NED capacity constraints, and governance structure uncertainties pending permanent Chair appointment.
Key findings
- Culture has shifted markedly: Board now demonstrates rigorous oversight and curiosity; ONS Executive is transparent and welcomes increased scrutiny, reversing past patterns of managed reporting.
- NED recruitment delays in 2024 created expertise gaps in communications and audit; new NEDs since February 2025 have filled gaps, but Board would benefit from additional capacity and skills in operational transformation, large-scale programme management, and macroeconomics.
- Board agendas previously crowded by ONS crisis management; improvements underway through deeper engagement with Government Statistical System and Chief Statisticians in devolved governments, though standing items still consume excessive meeting time.
- Governance review identified potential routes to strengthen ONS oversight: expand Board skillset, introduce dedicated sub-committee, or create 'production board' for GSS; Board prefers to await permanent Chair before major structural change.
- Board papers currently overly lengthy despite intent to increase transparency; authority working toward 'shorter papers with clear options' to maintain balance between candour and clarity of key risks.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Penny Young (Interim Chair, UK Statistics Authority), Mo Baines (Review Lead, Interim Lead NED, Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government), Darren Tierney (Permanent Secretary, ONS), Simon Hoare (Chair, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee), Emma Rourke (Acting National Statistician, December 2025 departure), Ed Humpherson (Director General for Regulation, OSR), David Spiegelhalter (NED, term ending May 2026)
Notable line
“… the tide is beginning to turn in terms of external perceptions.”
Key Quotes
“The scale of the ongoing challenges was well understood, and many examples given on positive changes throughout this transition period. The Board has navigated a number of personnel changes; is implementing the separation of roles; has challenged the Executive to act on issues of trust and culture within ONS and to complete the prioritisation work …”
“… papers were heavily managed before being shared with the Board. This has changed, with the Executive being open about issues and information …”
“The Executive has got down to work on the recovery plan with energy and commitment, and the tide is beginning to turn in terms of external perceptions.”
“… the Board would benefit from increased capacity together with some specific additional skills. The Authority would benefit from enhanced experience of large scale transformational large scale change and leadership.”
“While recovery of economic statistics and survey performance is in progress, it is at an early stage, and inevitably fragile. Much of the work to be done is complex, and requires testing things out, which will not always be successful first time.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗