FOI Ref: FOI/2023/4963
You asked
Please release, preferably by PDF, a copy of any complaints received before 27 February regarding either of the Treasury inflation infographics on Twitter referred to in the Director General's letter to HM Treasury of that date. Relevant link: https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/correspondence/ed-humpherson-to-david-pares-treasury-inflation-infographic/
We said
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request of 1 March 2023. As the independent regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority, the Office for Statistics Regulation is responsible for regulating statistics produced by government across the UK.
You requested a copy of any complaints received before 27 February regarding either of the Treasury inflation infographics on Twitter referred to in the Director General's letter to HM Treasury of that date. We were tagged on a Twitter thread that was discussing concerns with the baseline of the chart starting at 8%. This led to an internally generated case.
While our formal remit covers official statistics (those produced in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics), we consider a broader scope for investigating issues related to the production and misuse of statistics. For example, we consider issues concerning the use of government data in public debate whether they are formally defined as official statistics or not.
Our interventions policy provides more detail on the types of issues we consider and how these issues are raised to us. We do not need a complaint to be raised with us to intervene. Cases can be internally generated from our active monitoring of comments and mentions on social media channels or horizon scanning. Our Casework Annual Report found that internally generated casework made up 16% of all cases (52 cases) in 2020/21.
Whether generated internally or raised with us by somebody else, we are guided by our commitment to statistics that demonstrate trustworthiness, quality and value and will be proportionate in judging when we intervene.