FOI reference: FOI-2025-2852
You asked
I am writing to you as a freelance journalist to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act for information regarding the postponement of producer prices publications.
I would like to know the following:
- Any email communications, minutes and correspondence pertaining to meetings attended by members of the ONS' senior leadership team regarding the pause of producer prices publications (Producer Price Index (PPI) and the Services Producer Price Indices (SPPI)) between 1st February and 21st March 2025.
We said
Thank you for your request.
We have conducted a search of email communications, minutes, and correspondence pertaining to any of the following on this topic.
Meetings with the National Statistician
Meetings with Senior Leadership Team or the Executive Committee
Meetings with the Director General for the Economic, Social, and Environmental Group (ESEG).
Please find the information in scope of your request in the associated download.
Personal data of junior staff members has been redacted under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
We have withheld one email chain created in the very early stages of discovering the issue and the associated briefing document containing comments, which was prepared for the DG of ESEG, under s.36(2)(b)(ii) of FOIA. It is our view that the release of this information would prejudice the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.
The initial briefing document and emails contain initial, candid thoughts of the prices staff discussing and determining the nature of the issue. It is essential for ONS to maintain a protected space when having these initial discussions to thoroughly explore and identify emerging issues and freely discuss resolutions. This is particularly important when providing open and honest briefings to senior leaders. The prospect of such candid views being shared would have a chilling effect on future discussions, where staff would feel inhibited. This would lead to decreased efficiency when determining and resolving issues, which is essential for the work of the prices division as they produce complex analysis under significant time pressure. Briefings for senior leadership would also be less comprehensive. Both of these consequences would lead to poorer understanding of the nature of issues and, subsequently, poorer decision-making. This would be particularly concerning for the work of the prices division, as the information they produce is market-sensitive, so has a far-reaching financial impact.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test.
Arguments in favour of disclosure include transparency around how the issue was discovered and the initial thoughts in response. This could aid public understanding of how ONS identifies and begins to resolve emerging issues.
However, ONS have already been transparent with the public about the issue in a public statement on 21 March 2025. Furthermore, we are releasing email discussions and the brief sent to the National Statistician about the issue, which aid transparency around this issue. We also plan to publish an updated version of the briefing document/PPI methods paper we are withholding in late Summer/early Autumn, once PPI is back on a monthly publication schedule. We must also consider the lack of public interest that any disruption to markets would have.
On balance, the public interest test falls in favour of withholding.