Public involvement and engagement strategy
Updated 17 July 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbt-standards-for-official-statistics/public-involvement-and-engagement-strategy
Introduction
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) produces official statistics in line with practices required in the Code of Practice for Statistics. This statement sets out the department’s commitments on public engagement (standard 8.5).
Access to statistics
Routinely produced statistics are available free of charge from the Research and Statistics page on the GOV.UK website. DBT will generally announce the month of release of these statistics 12 months in advance and the exact date 4 weeks in advance. All official statistics are published at 9:30am on the scheduled day unless otherwise announced.
On request, DBT will provide metadata and coding alongside statistical outputs where appropriate, in line with the Government Analysis Function’s Reproducible Analytical Pipelines Strategy. This is providing there are no confidentiality or cost issues.
DBT is committed to making its statistical outputs accessible to all users. For further details, read the accessibility statement for DBT statistics.
In line with legislation, DBT may provide a specific statistical publication in a different format if requested. If you require a document in an alternative format such as audio, braille or large print, contact the responsible statistician using the contact email addresses and telephone numbers included within the statistical release or provided on the accompanying statistical press release. Other enquiries regarding the contents of a specific release should be addressed to the responsible statistician for that release.
Media enquiries regarding the contents of a specific release should be directed to the DBT press office.
Enquiries made under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act should be addressed to the department’s FOI team:
Information Rights Unit
Department for Business and Trade
Old Admiralty Building Admiralty Place
London
SW1A 2DY
Email: foi@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Further details on how to make an FOI request can be found on the DBT homepage on GOV.UK.
Consultations
DBT ensures that, on important developments to our statistics, there are transparent and clear processes allowing for views from both internal and external customers.
The decision to consult with users is solely on the authority of DBT’s Chief Statistician and Head of Profession for Statistics.
DBT will undertake consultations when the department wishes to make:
- significant changes to the content of publications
- significant changes to the method of publication
- major methodological changes to the production of statistics
- significant changes to how the department publishes its statistics (for example, the merging of several related publications into a single publication)
DBT will provide a summary of all user responses to each consultation and the rationale for these decisions. As per the Cabinet Office Consultation policy, DBT will publish these within 12 weeks of the consultation, or provide an explanation as to why this is not possible.
The primary vehicles for consultations on DBT statistics will be the statistical pages and the consultations section of GOV.UK. Information on consultations, updates to the publication schedule, and changes to departmental policies and procedures will be publicised here.
In addition to formal consultations, users can provide feedback on our regular publications with regards to smaller or technical changes.
Understanding user needs
The content of the department’s statistics and the supporting information provided will be informed by an understanding of user needs. This will include involving users in decisions to stop producing or significantly change an official statistic. This could also include, where appropriate:
- involving users in the ongoing development and testing of statistics
- consulting users on decisions to halt, change or begin producing different statistics
- engaging users in determining the most important questions which statistics need to answer
The findings of the latter will be reported on in our annual Statistical work programme.
All releases will include a point of contact for users to provide feedback. Alternatively, you can contact business.statistics@businessandtrade.gov.uk to provide any feedback on business statistics, or statistics@businessandtrade.gov.uk for feedback on trade and investment statistics.
User satisfaction findings and resulting actions will also be shared with users where relevant.
DBT will help users to understand its products by publishing or referring to supporting, background or educational information and material, and by marking statistical products with any appropriate statistical logos.
DBT also recognises that users will have different needs and seeks to establish ways of engaging with all user personas including:
- expert analysts
- information foragers
- inquiring citizens
Service standards
DBT staff will be polite, helpful and readily identify themselves. The department will make every reasonable effort to ensure that customers are provided with information that is timely, relevant and accurate. DBT aims to respond to written external correspondence within 20 working days of receipt.
The response will either be an answer to the issue raised, or a notification that the correspondence is being dealt with. The holding reply will either contain a date by which the department intends to provide a full response or a date by when the department will contact you with a progress update.
If you have a concern about the quality of the department’s service and you cannot resolve the problem with the person you have been dealing with, you can make a formal complaint.
Complaints procedure
If for any reason you feel that the service you receive from DBT has fallen below the standards you expect or has not lived up to the statements made in the departmental policies and procedures, then you can let the department know.
On receipt of a complaint, DBT will:
- regard it seriously
- treat it in confidence
- deal with it independently and without favour
- resolve it promptly, and informally whenever possible
- find a remedy wherever possible
- learn from it to improve departmental services
Your complaint should initially be addressed to the person you have been dealing with.
To escalate your complaint, please address it to the Chief Statistician at the Department for Business and Trade. You can make your complaint in writing, by phone, or email. Please provide as much relevant information as possible so that the department can deal with your case promptly.
Chief Statistician
Department for Business and Trade
Old Admiralty Building
London
SW1A 2DY
Email: statistics@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Telephone: 0792 028 8516
If you are still not satisfied, and the issue relates to the Code of Practice for Statistics, then you can refer your complaint to the UK Statistics Authority.
UK Statistics Authority
Fry Building
1st Floor, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Email: authority.enquiries@statistics.gov.uk
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).