Dear Tim,
I am writing following a recent episode of one of the BBC’s television programmes ‘Industry’, in which characters gained entry to a household by impersonating interviewers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). While I fully appreciate the creative freedom that drama affords, and that it’s a well-received series rooted in various excesses, this particular storyline has nevertheless caused worry among our interviewers.
Our survey interviewers carry out essential work in homes and neighbourhoods across the country. They do so with dedication, professionalism, and often under challenging conditions. Their ability to perform this work safely depends on a foundation of trust: trust that they are who they say they are, trust in the integrity of their purpose, and trust that engaging with them is in the public interest.
Depictions suggesting that posing as an ONS interviewer is a plausible tactic for criminal activity, even within fiction, risk undermining this delicate relationship at a time when it is already under strain. In practice, there would of course be a number of safeguards to reassure members of the public.
We rely on high-quality survey responses to build an accurate and timely picture of life in the UK. These data underpin everything from the allocation of public services to the design of economic and social policy. In recent years our response rates have been challenged by a range of external factors, and our interviewer teams work tirelessly to maintain engagement despite them.
I wanted to bring this matter to your attention not in a spirit of criticism, but out of concern for the unintended effect of such portrayals. Our staff take great pride in serving the public, and many have expressed distress that their work, and the trust placed in them, may be inadvertently compromised.
We would value the opportunity to engage with your teams to discuss ways to ensure that audiences remain confident about what to expect from a genuine ONS visit? Our interviewers would welcome the BBC looking at the challenging and vital work they do.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Darren Tierney,
ONS Permanent Secretary