Guidance

DSIT statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

Updated 12 May 2026

1. Statement of compliance 

This statement of compliance sets out how statistics produced by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, Standards for Official Statistics:  

• Practice 2.5: Publish a statement of compliance outlining how the statistics are produced in line with the core principles of trustworthiness, quality and value 

The statement is underpinned by DSIT’s individual compliance documents on specific aspects of the Code of Practice.

2. Purpose 

The Code of Practice for Statistics provides producers of official statistics with details of the practices that must be committed to when producing and releasing official statistics. It ensures that statistics published by government serve the public, and are trustworthy, valuable and of high quality. 

Our compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics means that users can have confidence in the people that produce DSIT statistics; that our statistics are robust, reliable and accurate. Our statistics are regularly reviewed to ensure they support the needs of society for information. 

This document sets out DSIT’s commitment to comply with the three core principles of the Code of Practice for Statistics: 

• trustworthiness 

• quality 

• value

3. Trustworthiness 

3.1 Show integrity 

DSIT is committed to using, collecting, accessing and sharing data ethically, and for the public good. Our statistics are produced by professional statisticians and analysts to high standards and the systems and processes used to produce statistics and data are trustworthy. We present data impartially, objectively and free from political and commercial influences. 

3.2 Lead responsibly 

The Chief Statistician (and Head of Profession) for DSIT has the capacity to call for new statistics to be published. The role of Chief Statistician is to ensure that the Code of Practice for Statistics is implemented across DSIT. They provide wider leadership to the statistical community, develop statistical competence and promote continual improvement in publications. 

As a statistics community within DSIT and part of the wider Government Statistical Service (GSS), we train and develop our skills regularly including through DSIT and GSS-wide community events. We ensure we demonstrate sound judgement and professionalism, apply the principles of the Code of Practice for Statistics and act with integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. 

The Chief Statistician meets regularly with each team producing official statistics to promote effective user engagement, support development plans and embed the principles of the Code of Practice to the delivery of the statistics. 

3.3 Be transparent 

DSIT statistical publications are pre-announced and pre-release access lists are published. All releases are published at the standard time of 09:30 on the day of publication and include contact details for the responsible statistician and team producing them. 

When DSIT produces official statistics which have scheduled revisions, these will be marked as provisional. If revisions are required including to correct errors, these will be made in accordance with the DSIT revisions and corrections policy. Major revisions will be made promptly and transparently. Minor revisions will normally be made in the next scheduled publication. 

3.4 Manage data responsibly  

DSIT follows statutory guidelines for the collection, sharing, linking, confidentiality and release of data and details are published alongside statistical releases. All personal data is held securely and in accordance with data protection legislation. All our large statistical surveys are contracted out to reputable research agencies.

4. Quality 

4.1 Prioritise quality 

Quality, including reliability, comparability and timeliness – is regularly reviewed and evaluated by the producers of statistics. The extent of any limitations is fully explained alongside all published collections. DSIT employs sound quality assurance processes, to ensure data are of a quality that meets users’ needs, minimising the risk and impact of quality issues on data. 

Producers of statistics and data follow clear processes to deliver quality assurance as described in our quality management approach for official statistics and any errors are correctly in a transparent manner as described in our revisions and corrections policy. 

All statistics releases are signed off by a senior statistician to maintain quality standards. 

4.2 Be rigorous  

DSIT statistics use a range of data collection methods and processes appropriate for their objectives. Surveys are an important method to capture considered thoughts of individuals, households and businesses leads. Administrative data and trained large language models are utilised to capture publicly available data. All data are subject to data validation and consistency checks. Any limitations of these methods are identified, along with steps to reduce and minimise these, with topic and method experts consulted where appropriate. 

4.3 Be open about quality 

DSIT statistics are based on the most appropriate data to meet intended uses. The impact of any data limitations is assessed, minimised and explained within statistical releases or the accompanying user guides. Any potential bias, uncertainty or limitation in the source data is identified and the full extent of any impact, and how these are minimised, is made transparent to users within our publications. DSIT statistics are regularly reviewed for their quality and relevance with opportunities taken to develop data sources, analytical methods and communication methods. 

We endeavour to ensure source data are consistent and comparable over time, across different levels of aggregation and over geographic areas where possible. Users of DSIT statistics will be notified of any changes to methods. Discontinuities in a time series will be fully reasoned and explained, with a consistent time series and back series of data provided where possible. 

Statistical publication leads establish and maintain close relationships with those involved in the data collection process. They share clear statements of data requirements with data providers, explaining how and why the data are intended to be used.

5. Value 

5.1 Be relevant 

DSIT aims to produce statistics and data that are useful, relevant, and support understanding of important issues. This includes improving existing statistics and creating new ones through discussion and collaboration with stakeholders, and being responsible and efficient in the collection, sharing and use of statistical information. 

We are committed to continually reviewing our official statistics outputs to ensure they are relevant to users and to identify ongoing opportunities for innovation and improvement.  

As set out in our public involvement and engagement strategy, DSIT will undertake consultations and calls for evidence 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 (e.g. the merging of several related publications into a single publication) 

5.2 Be clear 

DSIT is committed to producing orderly, impartial, and objective statistics and adding insight – why we are seeing the figures we are seeing, and what this means – to inform the policy and public debate on the areas it covers. Statistics will be described clearly and interpreted using appropriate data visualisations. Each release will be disseminated through the relevant channels to encourage existing and potential users and stakeholders to engage with the statistics. An email address for the responsible statistician or team is included in every release for enquiries or general comments. 

5.3 Be accessible 

Statistics, data and metadata produced by DSIT are easy to access and published in accessible formats in line with Analysis Function guidance. Micro data from our large surveys are available through the UK Data Service. We take care of the information provided to us and respect the confidentiality of that information.

6. Further information and contact details 

For more information about the application of the Code of Practice for Statistics within DSIT please see our compliance documents.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).  

OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. 

Please contact the responsible statistician named in each publication for details on specific administrative sources. Alternatively, the Chief Statistician for DSIT can be contacted at: 

22-26 Whitehall 
London 
SW1A 2EG 

Email: statistics@dsit.gov.uk 

Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk  or via the OSR website.