United Kingdom Statistics Authority

Chris Skidmore Excerpts

Tuesday 7th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Chris Skidmore)]

I beg to move,

That this House endorses the nomination of Sir David Norgrove for appointment as Chair of the United Kingdom Statistics Authority.

May I first offer my thanks to Sir Andrew Dilnot, who has performed the role very commendably over the past five years? I truly believe that his initiative has driven all of us to think more critically about statistics and how we can make better use of them.

I am also grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex (Mr Jenkin) for his help in the selection process. I am pleased that that process, which included a pre-appointment scrutiny session before the Select Committee on Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs, has identified in Sir David Norgrove an outstanding candidate and a worthy successor to Sir Andrew Dilnot.

I, like the Committee, am convinced that Sir David has both the professional and the personal qualities necessary to make an excellent chair of the UK Statistics Authority. I commend the motion to the House.