Scathing report on ONS failings recommends £10m overhaul

The UK's main statistics body needs a £10m overhaul and its top role split in two after a series of management failings and errors that have plagued the organisation for several years, a scathing report has found.

- Phillip Inman

The Devereux review on the performance and culture of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found "deep-seated" issues that called for radical measures and warned of the likelihood that past statistics would need to be retrospectively revised.

Sir Robert Devereux, a retired career civil servant, said the role of national statistician should be split in two, creating a new role of ONS permanent secretary to oversee a wide-ranging reorganisation, alongside the national statistician, who was responsible for the accuracy of published data.