His Majesty the King, on the advice of the Prime Minister, has appointed Professor Sir Ian Diamond FBA FRSE FAcSS for a second term as National Statistician, following an open competition, for a period of five years beginning on 1 April 2023.
The National Statistician is the Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, Permanent Secretary at the Office for National Statistics, and Head of the Government Statistical Service.
Sir Ian has been the UK’s National Statistician since 2019. In that time, the Authority has developed and launched its five-year strategy, Statistics for the Public Good. Sir Ian has led the UK’s official statistical system and the Government Analysis Function through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including the rapid establishment of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, and the delivery of the 2021 Census in England and Wales, which exceeded quality targets and achieved a 97% overall response rate. The Office for National Statistics has also opened new offices in Darlington and Manchester, and used new surveys and data sources to inform the public and government alike about the economy and cost of living.
Before becoming National Statistician, Sir Ian served as Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, and before that as Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council. He is also a Fellow of the British Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Academy of Social Sciences.
Sir Robert Chote, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, said:
“Ian has provided fantastic leadership to the UK statistical system, delivering a successful census, addressing the demands of the covid pandemic and increasing cost of living, and driving ongoing digital transformation. The Authority Board is delighted that Ian has been reappointed and we look forward to continuing to work together to deliver statistics that serve the public good.”
Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office said:
“I would like to congratulate Sir Ian on his reappointment. I have no doubt he will continue to provide strong direction for the UK Statistics Authority and Office for National Statistics and continue to drive innovation and value across the statistical system.”
Sir Ian Diamond said:
"It has been an enormous privilege to be National Statistician for the past three years, working with a truly wonderful group of colleagues and an excellent Board, to drive through so successfully our ambitious plan: Statistics for the Public Good. I am extremely excited by the opportunity to continue this work and take UK official statistics to a new level."
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