Statistically Speaking

Miles  and guests unpack how  the ONS is  collecting the prices from  more than a  billion supermarket  checkout and online sales to measure UK inflation.   Transcript Scanner data podcast transcript Miles:  Hello and welcome to statistically speaking, the official podcast of the UK's Office for National Statistics. I'm Miles Fletcher, and in this episode, we're taking an in depth look at a very b...

Late last summer, Darren Tierney stepped into the newly created role of Permanent Secretary at a pivotal moment for the organisation. In a new episode of   Statistically Speaking   our host Miles Fletcher sits down with Darren to talk  about what happens next.     TRANSCRIPT   MILES FLETCHER Hello and welcome to another episode of Statistically Speaking, the official podcast of the Office for Nati...

In "Crime: Numbers, Narratives and Nuance" our host Miles Fletcher speaks with Nick Stripe , Joint Head of Crime Statistics at the ONS and John Rentoul , leading commentator on crime, policing, and the media, about the challenges in interpreting crime data.    Transcript   MILES FLETCHER   Hello and welcome to another episode of Statistically Speaking – the official podcast on the UK's Office for...

With migration continuing to make headlines in the media, we unpack what actually defines a "migrant ", and how the UK's largest producer of official statistics goes about counting them.  We also shed light on the misuse of migration figures.     Transcript     MILES FLETCHER   Hello and a very warm welcome to a new series of S tatistically S peaking - the official podcast of the UK Office for Nat...

In this episode we explore how the ONS measures our natural environment and  the green economy .         Relevant datasets:  ONS Environmental Accounts    Transcript       MILES FLETCHER     Welcome again to Statistically Speaking, the official podcast of the UK's Office for National Statistics. I'm Miles Fletcher and this time we're getting back to nature as we explore the work of the ONS in meas...

  With the public release of large language models like Chat GPT putting Artificial Intelligence (AI) firmly on our radar, this episode explores what benefits this technology might hold for statistics and analysis, as well as policymaking and public services.   Joining host, Miles Fletcher, to discuss the groundbreaking work being done in this area by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and a...

The ONS podcast return s, this time looking at the importance of communicating uncertainty in statistics . Joining host Miles Fletcher to discuss is Sir Robert Chote, Chair of the UKSA; Dr Craig McLaren, of the ONS; and Professor Mairi Spowage, director  of the Fraser of Allander Institute .     Transcript   MILES FLETCHER   Welcome back to S tatistically S peaking , the official podcast of the UK...

    In this episode Miles is joined by t he National Statistician, Sir Ian Diamond, to reflect on what has been a busy and transformative year at the Office for National Statistics.     Transcript     MILES FLETCHER   This is "S tatistically S peaking ", the official podcast of the UK Office for National Statistics , I'm Miles Fletcher . This is our 20th episode , i n fact, a milestone of sorts, t...

  The ONS led the way informing the UK response to the Coronavirus pandemic. But what lessons can be learned and how can we best prepare not only ourselves, but the rest of the world, for the next pandemic?      Transcript   MILES FLETCHER   This is S tatistically S peaking , the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Podcast. I'm Miles Fletcher , a nd as we approach the darkest months of winte r, w...

In this episode we talk about the growth of data use in the media  and the potential impact of misinformation  on the public's trust in official statistics .   Navigating podcast host Miles Fletcher through this minefield is Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, from the University of Cambridge; Ed Humpherson, Head of the Office for Statistics Regulation; and award-winning data journalist Simon Rogers.  ...

In this episode, w e explore ONS's work with other countries  to raise the world's statistical capabilities.     Transcript   MILES FLETCHER   Hello and welcome again to 'Statistically Speaking ', the Office for National Statistics' Podcast. I'm M i les Fletcher , a nd in this episod e we' r e going international.    Now it hardly needs saying that global issues , climate change, population growth...

In this episode we chat to members of the ONS Social Survey Collection Division about the importance, and challenges, of getting the general public to take part in crucial surveys that help paint a picture of what life is like across Britain.   Transcript   MILES FLETCHER   Welcome again to 'Statistically Speaking ', the official podcast of the UK 's Office for National St a tistics. I'm Miles Fle...

    In this episode we discuss how the ONS has been working to transform the way we count the population, using new datasets to give more accurate , timely , and detailed mea surements .   On 29 June 2023, the ONS will be launching a public consultation on its proposals for a transformed population and migration statistics system. Understanding user needs will be essential evidence in making its r...

In this episode of Statistically Speaking we shine the spotlight on local data and look at how good statistics for small areas make for better targeted policy interventions, and more effective use of valuable public resour ce s .      Transcript     MILES FLETCHER   Welcome again to S tatistically S peaking , the Office for National Statistics p odcast. I'm M i les Fletcher a nd in this episode we...

In this episode, we focus on a powerful example of when the numbers alone are simply not enough. The most recent Census has told us how many people have some form of disability but to really understand the nature of those disabilities and the needs of people reporting them we need to do a lot more work.   Guiding us through this work, is Helen Colvin, joint lead for Census and Disability Analysis...

With news headlines proclaiming the UK has ' narrowly avoided  a recession ' , we decode the 'r' word and explain why this sometimes misleading term is one the ONS is often cautious to avoid. We get the lowdown on GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ; discuss whether its time as the yardstick for measuring the success or failure of the world's economies is coming to an end ; and hear how the ONS is alrea...

Miles explores how data linking can help tackle cross-cutting issues in an increasingly uncertain world, and how the ONS' new Integrated Data Service will provide a step-change transformation in how researchers will be able to access public data.   Joining him are ONS colleagues Bill South, Deputy Director of Research Services and Data Access; Jason Yaxley, Director of the Integrated Data Programm...

National Statistician, Sir Ian Diamond, joins Miles in a slightly festive episode of Statistically Speaking , to look back on some of the highlights and challenges for the ONS in 2022 while gazing positively, but objectively, towards 2023.     TRANSCRIPT     MILES FLETCHER   Hello, and as another statistical year draws to an end you join us for a slightly festive episode of Statistically Speaking....

Miles is joined by colleagues from the Health and Life Events team to explore how data is good for our health. Within the diagnosis: the Health Index, dubbed "the GDP of health"; the impacts of Covid-19 as well as an ageing society; and the increasing importance of linking data from numerous sources to generate complex insights that inform decision-making.     TRANSCRIPT     MILES FLETCHER   Welco...

In this episode of Statistically Speaking Miles is helped with his enquiries by Meghan Elkin and Billy Gazard from the Office for National Statistics, as he investigates how we use data to get valuable insights into the impact of crime on modern society. Along the way he debunks common misconceptions; learns how the nature of crime continues to evolve; and uncovers the work being done behind-the-s...

In this episode Miles is joined by Professor Luciano Floridi of Oxford University; Simon Whitworth of the UK Statistics Authority; and Pete Stokes from the ONS to talk about data ethics and public trust in official statistics.   TRANSCRIPT   MILES FLETCHER     Hello, I'm Miles Fletcher, and in this episode of Statistically Speaking we're exploring data ethics and public trust in official statistic...

David Freeman and Nicola White join Miles to discuss how the Office for National Statistics (ONS) tracks employment and pay across the UK.   Transcript: Hello and welcome again to Statistically Speaking, the Office for National Statistics podcast. In this episode, we enter the world of work and clock on for a shift with the ONS labour market team. We'll explore how they keep track of employment an...

In this episode Miles is joined by Dr James Tucker and Sarah Caul MBE to talk about how and why the Office for National Statistics count births and deaths, and what current fertility trends might mean for the future population. They look at the impact of popular culture on the most common baby names in England and Wales, and discuss  the new significance of a dataset that was itself buried for 50...

Our topic this time, and it's a big one, is the economy. The science of measuring rapid change in a complex, globalised and now increasingly turbulent economic situation. In this episode Miles is joined by second permanent secretary Sam Beckett, and head of inflation, Mike Hardie, to look at how the ONS is keeping on top of rising prices, and how two of the biggest economic shocks in recent histor...

I n the third episode of Statistically Speaking we talk to Professor Sir Ian Diamond, the UK's National Statistician, and Dr Louisa Nolan, Chief Data Scientist at the ONS Data Science Campus about the past, present and future of stats. We explore how the pandemic has been transformative for the use and understanding of public data and how the data revolution and the fight against COVID are changin...