News from ONS
News to ONS regions
This page details items of interest from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) centre which would be of interest to regional partners. Regionally specific information is provided on each regional team's page.
Future of Regional Statistician network
The future of the ONS Regional Statistician (RS) service has become uncertain due to the current funding arrangement. The Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), who provide the majority of funding under the existing model, have given notice funding will cease at the end of March 2011.
The RDAs continue to be highly supportive of the RS and the analytical capability they provide. However, it has been a concern of the RDAs in particular, but also of ONS, that the funding model may not be sustainable. This is in part due to the uncertainty around the future of RDAs, the changing nature of the regional/local agenda and RDA's desire that the funding model should represent the wider community that benefit from the service.
In the current financial climate, ONS are unable to find additional money to fund the shortfall when the RDA funding ends. ONS are exploring alternative funding sources and have written to the Treasury, who brokered the original funding agreement between ONS and the RDAs.
Unfortunately, there is a significant risk that a sustainable funding model will not emerge and the RS service will cease at the end of March 2011. In order to manage this risk, ONS has started actions on a managed rundown of the RS service. ONS remains committed to regional and local statistics and wishes to continue to play a role in any future localism agenda.
The Government Statistical Service Regional and Geography Committee will discuss priorities for regional statistics and how they can be provided. ONS are in dialogue with the RDAs about their requirements and priorities, which includes the services provided by the RS. Your views on priorities would be welcome and will feed into the debate and considerations. These should be sent to Bill South at Bill.south@ons.gsi.gov.uk.
Please contact the team in your region to determine how this may impact on your local service.
Regional Statistics Bulletin
The Regional Statistics Bulletin (RSB) is a bi-monthly bulletin which provides examples of work being undertaken by the RSs and the analytical teams within the Centre for Regional and Local Statistics (CRLS). Each edition features three articles from the regions and one from the central analytical teams.
Statistics for Cornish Towns
The ONS South West Regional Statisticians have undertaken a project which demonstrates how available data for small areas can be used to build up information about geographies for which statistics are not routinely published. This article uses small area statistics to paint a picture of Cornwall. It covers topics such as population, deprivation, businesses and employment.
ONS's support of Local Economic Assessments
A range of outputs have been produced since the Centre for Regional and Local Statistics (CRLS) released its 'offer' to support partners with the Local Economic Assessment process. Each output is listed below and include Local profiles for Lower and Upper tier Authorities, and Inter-Departmental Business Register analysis for Local Authorities. In addition to these outputs Regional Statisticians have been supporting the authorities in their regions.
ONS offer to support LEAs 42.3 Kb Pdf document
IDBR Analysis to support Local Authorities
Commuting from the Annual Population Survey
Change over time - Worklessness
Women in business article
The role women have in business and the impact they have on regional economies is of increasing interest. This article looks at how to monitor trends among women who are active in business and how to understand the way they work and what drives them. It’s true to say information on the owners of businesses is limited and most is not broken down by sex.
Portraits of the English regions
A set of articles providing statistical portraits for select English Government Office Regions, illustrating key facts about each region:
Portrait of Yorkshire and The Humber
Portrait of the East Midlands
Portrait of the East of England
Portrait of the North East
Portrait of the South West
Regional economic analysis
A series of reports on Changing Regional Economies was released in May 2007 to coincide with the launch of new regional statistical teams.
North East
North West
Yorkshire and The Humber
East Midlands
West Midlands
East of England
London
South East
South West
