Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the independent report published on 19 March, Independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, by Professor Alice Sullivan, that there is a 'partisan climate on certain issues, including gender' within the Office for National Statistics.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

The Lord Jackson of Peterborough

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

8 April 2025

Dear Lord Jackson,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the finding in the independent report published on 19 March, Independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, by Professor Alice Sullivan, that there is a 'partisan climate on certain issues, including gender' within the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (HL6248).

The ONS has a long history of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on all the census questions. We listen impartially and objectively to all voices to safeguard the production of official statistics that serve the public good in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics[1].

We welcome the Independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender and are reviewing the findings in detail. We are committed to working with others to improve the comparability, consistency, and coherence of government statistics. This year, the Government Statistical Service (GSS) is holding a series of regional listening events to inform ongoing work on the topics of sex and gender identity.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

[1]https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/