Guidance that the ONS observers use to track consumer prices

FOI reference: FOI-2025-2494

You asked

I would like to request any current ONS guidance regarding the exact type of items the price observers employed by the ONS (be they ONS staff or third-party agents) are being asked to observe. 

We said

Thank you for your request.

Please see the associated download in response to your request.

We have redacted individual business names from the release, as businesses collaborate with us under the expectation that their information will not be shared. This is reflected in the letters we send to businesses requesting their cooperation with the collection exercise, where we promise that the information provided and their involvement will be kept confidential. This information is therefore exempt under Section 41 of Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Specific product names have also been redacted under Section 29(1)(a) of FOIA. This exemption applies when the disclosure of particular information would likely prejudice the economic interests of the UK. Disclosure of the specific product names that do and do not contribute to the CPI could enable major retailers to influence the CPI by changing the price of the in-basket product, and perhaps offset it with changes in price of other similar non-basket products.

The consumer price indices are used for many purposes including inflation targeting as part of the government’s monetary policy, index-linking government bonds (gilts), and uprating business rates, pensions and benefits, and various types of duty and rents. Given the importance of the indicator and the way in which it is used, where a small change can have major financial implications, it’s essential that there is no manipulation of the data.

This exemption is subject to a public interest test. Whilst we recognise arguments in favour of promoting accountability and transparency by public authorities for decisions taken by them, we feel this has been sufficiently accounted for by the disclosure of the rest of the guidance our price observers use. We also value the public interest in ensuring the stability of the UK economy. Should this be disrupted by challenge to current interest-rates, inflation, and economic policies, this would have a detrimental impact on a wide range of areas, impacting thousands of members of the public. We therefore believe it is in the greater public interest to withhold the requested information to prevent the potential harm caused by such disruption.