ScotStat Board minutes: December 2025

Attendees and apologies

Board members

• John Curtice (JC)
• Susan McVie (SM)
• Ken Roy (KR)
• João Sousa (JS)
• Lucien Staddon Foster (LSF)
• Roeland Beerten (RB)

Officials/Speaker/Observers

• Ally McAlpine (AM), Chief Statistician
• Paul Matthews (PM), Head of Profession, Office of the Chief Statistician
• Lee Bunce (LB), Office of the Chief Statistician, Secretariat
• Amy Wilson (AW), Deputy Director Health Workforce Planning and Delivery, Secretariat
• Rajiv Naik (RN), Office of the Chief Statistician, Secretariat
• Scott Heald (SH), Public Health Scotland
• Gail Rankin (GR), Office for Statistics Regulation
• Job de Roij (JR). Office for Statistics Regulation
• Dette Cowden, OCEA, Scottish Government
• Kirsty Yule, OCEA, Scottish Government
• Gayle Mackie, OCEA, Scottish Government

Apologies

• Camilla Barnett (CB)
• Ana Basiri (AB)

Items and actions

Actions from last meeting

JC updated the Board on a meeting between the ScotStat Board co-chairs and Ed Humpherson, OSR, regarding the refreshed Code of Practice for Statistics.

The Board has now produced paper for Scottish Ministers that outlines a recommendation on pre-release access arrangements in Scotland.

JC stated that SH will now provide an update on social care data at the next Board meeting.

Update from the Chief Statistician

AM provided an update on pre-release access. The Office of the Chief Statistician (OCS) is currently preparing advice for ministers which will incorporate the recommendations of the Board.

AM discussed the continued challenges facing the statistical system in terms of resourcing and increasing demands for support and their implications for statistical improvements. The Office of the Chief Statistician continues to support recruitment drives whilst implementing efficiency measures and prioritising necessary workstreams. OCS are also considering how other analytical professions can support statistical work and potential solutions.

Data sharing across the UK continues to be a priority. AM mentioned Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data are now being shared across Scottish Government (SG), and efforts are ongoing to ensure that the benefits are properly realised.

Work is ongoing to finalise funding for Administrative Data Research (ADR) Scotland. A funding bid is in progress with a focus on research that has policy impact and establishing governance structures.

The Culture of Statistical Production in Scottish Government

PM presented a paper on the efforts taken by OCS in providing direction to and support for the production of statistics within SG. The presentation stressed the importance that culture and communications play in addressing the challenges faced in developing and enhancing the role of devolved statistics within and out with government.

JC noted the challenges to service delivery arising from demands to ‘do more with less’, availability of sufficient and competent resources, potential fear of ‘speaking truth to power’, and inability to see the bigger picture of the ‘value-added’ of producing statistics for the public good.

RB commented on the importance of communicating the value of statistics produced by the statistics professionals and working closely with policy and communications colleagues in achieving those goals. KR discussed the structural levers and mindsets which may need to be considered in advancing the public good.

AM and PM highlighted efforts to incorporate intelligent transparency concepts in the work of both statisticians and non-statisticians in government, and to achieve the intended benefits of the refreshed Code of Practice for Statistics.

The State of the UK Statistical System and Code of Practice 3.0

GR presented on the recent State of the UK Statistical System report, published by the Office for Statistics Regulation earlier in the year.

JR provided an update on the recent refresh of the Code of Practice to Statistics. Note was made of the topic of intelligent transparency, which has now been embedded in the new code.

Consulting on Economic Statistics

Statisticians from the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser presented on the range of work being carried out in their area to engage with and consult users on economic statistics.

The Board will review this presentation alongside the presentation on justice statistics at the previous Board meeting to inform next steps in its work programme on user consultation.

Data collection on Sex and Gender

PM provided an update on OCS work on the collection of data on sex and gender. OCS is currently reviewing its guidance on this topic in light of the Supreme Court Judgment and expects to publish an interim update soon.

A fuller review of the guidance will take place in 2026, as previously committed in the Scottish Government’s Non-Binary Equality Action Plan.

The Government Statistical Service is continuing to develop UK wide guidance on this topic, and Scottish Government is engaged with this work.

Actions

• SH to update on social care data reporting at the next Board meeting, and include examples of work between PHS, COSLA, Improvement Service in this space

• AM to invite Alex Lambert, ONS to the March meeting to speak on Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS) and its implications