Chote Takes Chair at UK Statistics Authority

British economist Sir Robert Chote has begun his five-year term as Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, replacing Sir David Norgrove whose term ended on 31st March.

The UK Statistics Authority is a non-ministerial government department, responsible for oversight of the Office for National Statistics, maintaining a national code of practice for official statistics, and accrediting statistics that comply with the Code as National Statistics. The post of Chair is a Crown appointment, made with the approval of Parliament.

New Chair, Sir Robert (pictured), is a former head of the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and was Economics Editor of both the Financial Times and the Independent. He is currently serving part-time as the first chair of the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council, an independent body created in 2021 to bring greater transparency and scrutiny to Northern Ireland's public finances; and he also chairs the external advisory group of the Parliamentary Budget Office in the Republic of Ireland. In the 2021 New Year Honours list, Sir Robert was knighted for services to fiscal policy and the economy.

Welcoming the appointment, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Lord True said: 'I am delighted that Sir Robert Chote will take up this important role as Chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Sir Robert has all the attributes, experience and independence of judgement needed to lead the UKSA Board and the regulation of UK statistics. I would like to thank Sir David Norgrove for his work over the previous five years.'

Web site: www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk .