Office for National Statistics

Direct Debits data reveal fresh economic insights

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For the first time the ONS has published new data on UK Direct Debits. This new, fast and anonymised data source provides insight on consumer payments to most of the UK’s largest companies. Dragos Cozma describes how the ONS has developed this new data source with our partners at Vocalink and Pay.UK and what it tells us about the UK economy.  

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Keeping it consistent – how we quality adjust CPI

Innovation Picture

Our consumer inflation statistics are closely watched, not only because they tell us how price rises are affecting people, but also because they are a crucial piece of information, used by the Bank of England when setting Interest rates. Chris Jenkins talks about the complex adjustments we make to ensure the index shows only real, underlying changes in prices.  

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Inclusive Income: How the ONS is moving beyond GDP

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As well as producing high-quality economic analysis and statistics, the ONS has been working on radical plans to go ‘beyond GDP’. This work includes new and innovative metrics reflecting the impact of economic change on people and the environment. Richard Heys introduces the new measure of ‘Inclusive Growth’, and explains what it says about how our lives and environment are changing.

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Transforming R&D statistics on Government-funded research & development

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We have already blogged about how the UK’s statistics on research and development (R&D) are the subject of a programme of fundamental transformation. We are improving our main survey to capture a much wider group of businesses to better reflect the true extent of R&D undertaken in the UK. Now we also improving our measurement of R&D undertaken by the UK government and its agencies. Heather Bovill talks about how we are improving these estimates of what R&D the government is paying for and, importantly, where it is taking place.

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