MSPs investigate quality of Scottish economic data

Whether Scottish Government economic statistics are good enough to support policy decisions is the subject of a new inquiry by a Holyrood committee.

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Jobs & Fair Work Committee has issued a call for evidence into the "accuracy, utility and comprehensibility" of Scottish economic data, as it considers what data are required for effective delivery and scrutiny of policy.

Businesses, economists and others are urged to share their views and concerns on how reliable is the data currently available, how useful it is, how best to interpret it, whether there are gaps in provision, funding issues and whether the datab produced encourage effective scrutiny. The inquiry will look at the mechanisms behind the data, hearing from those who produce the statistics, those who interpret them and the end users.

Committee convener Gordon Lindhurst MSP commented: “The right data, gathered and interpreted in the right way can be fundamental to policy decisions that help shape the Scottish economy.

“The committee wants to hear the views of those who produce statistics, those who interpret them and the people who use them. What works well, and what could be done better? Crucially, we want to hear from places that are putting the right data to effective use for the economy. What could be learned from their experience?"

Click here to access the call for evidence. Responses are due by 1 September 2017.