ARIES programme: high-level roadmap

Throughout 2021 to 2022, the Ambitious, Radical, Inclusive Economic Statistics (ARIES) programme addressed an ambitious agenda of statistical development which focused on further improving the quality of important economic measures. This included the introduction of new methodology to produce double-deflated National Accounts, while remaining responsive to user needs at a challenging time for the UK economy. 

In April 2022, the ARIES programme was extended to become an in-depth three-year change programme. This programme of change supported the new and emerging needs of stakeholders, responding to the Comprehensive Spending Review (SR21). 

The programme's main purpose is to sustainably improve the quality, timeliness and granularity of our statistics through best use of available data and technology, therefore meeting the needs of our users. 

In the financial year 2022 to 2023, the programme focused on both making changes to some of our statistics and undertaking in-depth discovery work on others. Notable successes included significant improvements to inflation, public sector finances and business statistics. It also included a large amount of learning across all projects, which is now being used to shape future delivery and the ARIES Full Business Case.

The ARIES Business Case is made up of five main projects. 

Prices

Incorporating alternative data sources for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and a new system build and indices for rents. ​  

Labour market

Establishing the Transformed Labour Forces Survey (TLFS) as the primary source of data for labour market statistics​ (including running both the TLFS and the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for seven waves).  

Legacy reduction​  

Reducing the reliance on legacy technologies and targeted system risk reduction within National Accounts.​  

Business statistics transformation​  

Improving the quality and granularity of our business statistics, focusing on our research and development suite of statistics. This includes developing a strategic roadmap for longer-term transformation of business statistics. 

Public sector 

Transforming important public sector systems, reducing the reliance on legacy technology, ​and providing more granular statistics on the UK's fiscal position and the activities of the UK non-market services sector.

Progress to date 

These are the main outcomes of the ARIES programme as of August 2023. 

Quarter 2 (July to Sept) financial year 2022 to 2023

The Labour Market Transformation project completed publication of the Over 50s Lifestyle Survey results. 

The Public Sector Transformation project has:  

• published analytical outputs on the feasibility of improving our subnational estimates of UK public sector finance statistics 

• completed research into data collection from Local Authorities 

Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) financial year 2022 to 2023

The Business Statistics Transformation project enabled the publication of improved Research and Development (R&D) statistics, which provided better measurement of R&D levels (particularly small businesses) using a peer reviewed uplift approach, and utilised a new alternative source to provide improved measurement of higher education R&D. 

Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) financial year 2022 to 2023 

The Prices Transformation project completed publication of rail fares, using alternative data sources, in headline measures of consumer price statistics. For further details, see our Impact analysis on transformation of UK consumer price statistics: rail fares, February 2023 article. 

The Public Sector Transformation project has: 

• implemented new sub-national education output metrics in the Regional Accounts 

• carried out a review of the vaccination and coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and tracking data in the Annual National Accounts 

Quarter 1 (Apr-June) financial year 2023 to 2024 

The Public Sector Transformation project published a new public sector balance sheet in a new-style public sector finance release. 

Quarter 2 (July-Sept) financial year 2023 to 2024 

The Household Financial Statistics Transformation project ran a public consultation into household financial statistics transformation. This has given the Office for National Statistics (ONS) a better insight into user needs and priorities. The response to the consultation was published on  31 July 2023. For full information, see our Transforming the ONS's household financial statistics feedback.

The ARIES Full Business Case covers the delivery of the following key elements between August 2023 and March 2025, inclusive.  

Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) financial year 2023 to 2024

The Labour Market Transformation project will begin the transition to using the Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS) as the primary data source for labour market statistics within the Economic, Social and Environmental Statistics Group (ESEG). 

The Legacy Reduction project will complete the migration of the Monthly Business Survey, Quarterly Business Survey, and Construction Output and Employment Surveys from Common Software, and the Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) Survey from Open Road to the Statistical Processing Platform (SPP).  

Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) financial year 2023 to 2024

The Prices Transformation project will:

• complete the publication of used cars, using alternative data sources, in headline measures of consumer price statistics 

• publish new private rental indices, using new data sources and improved methods for Great Britain, in headline measures of consumer price statistics and Price Index for Private Rents (PIPR) 

The roll out of the use of the Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS) to produce Labour Market statistics will begin, starting with the labour market monthly publication using TLFS for the first time. 

The Public Sector Transformation project will: 

• produce new local authority-level estimates of education output 

• improve quarterly healthcare metrics, within a wider package of non-market output improvements 

The Business Statistics Transformation project will publish transformed Research and Development statistics. 

Quarter 1 (Apr - June) financial year 2024 to 2025

Transformed Labour Forces Survey (TLFS) roll out continues with the productivity publications using it for the first time. 

Quarter 2 (July - Sept) financial year 2024 to 2025  

The Public Sector Transformation project will have made improvements to the non-market output measures of education, and primary and preventative healthcare, ready to be incorporated into the Annual National Accounts. 

Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) financial year 2024 to 2025

The Public Sector Transformation project will:  

• start implementing improved data from the Local Government Finance Review (LGFR) into the public sector finances 

• have completed research into improving the measure of Public Sector Net Worth 

• have implemented targeted Public Sector Balance Sheet improvements 

Quarter 4 (Jan - Mar) financial year 2024 to 2025

The Prices Transformation project will: 

• publish consumer price statistics that include groceries scanner data using alternative data sources 

• publish consumer price statistics using a new cloud platform for data collected in-store (that is, "local collection") 

• publish new private rental indices using new data sources and improved methods for Northern Ireland; these data will be used in headline measures of consumer price statistics and Price Index for Private Rents (PIPR) 

• implement the future of prices transformation strategy, exploring research and opportunities for alternative data sources 

The transition to using the Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS) in regular labour market and productivity outputs will have concluded.  

The Legacy Reduction project will complete the migration of the remaining Common Software surveys to the Statistical Processing Platform (SPP), enabling the decommissioning of one out of four legacy Ingres platforms. Plans will be in place for further migration of other Ingres surveys and platforms.  

The Public Sector Transformation project will deliver: 

• new transparency standards for fiscal statistics and sector classification decisions 

• new and improved international statistical transmissions and the provision of more detailed information on classification outcomes, to enhance user understanding and further statistical credibility