Question 1

How do I make a Freedom of Information request?

Accepted Answer

Write to the public body (email is fine) with your name, an address for the reply and a clear description of the information you want. You do not need to mention the Freedom of Information Act or say why you want it ( section 8 ). The Act covers government departments, councils, the NHS, police forces, schools, universities and many other bodies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and UK-wide. Scottish bodies come under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Requests about the environment fall under the Environmental Information Regulations. Ask for recorded information, not opinions, and keep each request to one topic so it stays under the cost limit. Many bodies publish past answers in a disclosure log, so search there first.

Question 2

Where can I find UK census data?

Accepted Answer

Each part of the UK runs its own census. The ONS publishes results for England and Wales (Census 2021), National Records of Scotland publishes Scotland's Census 2022, and NISRA publishes Northern Ireland's Census 2021. The ONS "Create a custom dataset" tool lets you build tables down to small areas, and the same data is on Nomis and the ONS API. Census figures are a snapshot of one day; for current numbers use the annual mid-year population estimates instead.

Question 3

What is the population of the UK?

Accepted Answer

The ONS publishes the official UK population each year as a mid-year estimate (for 30 June), combining figures from all four nations. The latest estimate and its date are on the ONS population estimates page. Between censuses the estimates are built from births, deaths and migration, so they are revised when new migration data arrives. When a claim uses a population figure, check which year's estimate it used and whether it has since been revised. Projections of future population are a separate ONS series.

Question 4

What are official statistics?

Accepted Answer

Official statistics are statistics produced by the ONS, government departments, devolved administrations and other bodies named in law, and published under the Code of Practice for Statistics. The legal definition is in section 6 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 . Some carry the label accredited official statistics (previously called National Statistics). That means the Office for Statistics Regulation has assessed them as meeting the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and value. Others are official statistics in development , which are new or changing methods and are more likely to be revised. When you quote a figure, check which label its release page shows. A figure from a press release or speech that has no published statistical source is not an official statistic.

Question 5

Is the ONS a government department?

Accepted Answer

The ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, which is a non-ministerial department. That means no minister runs it: it reports directly to Parliament, and the National Statistician leads it. This independence is set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 . Ministers can still see some statistics shortly before publication under strict pre-release access rules, which the Authority publishes for each release.

Question 6

How do I report misuse of statistics in the UK?

Accepted Answer

You can raise a concern with the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), which looks into how public bodies and politicians use statistics. Anyone can do this through OSR's casework page; it is free and you do not need to be an expert. OSR considers whether a figure was presented without its source, out of context, or in a way that could give a wrong impression. When it intervenes it usually writes a letter, often to a minister or permanent secretary, and publishes it. Ministers also follow the Ministerial Code, which asks them to observe the Code of Practice for Statistics. Before you write in, check OSR's published correspondence: the same figure has often been looked at already. See how to search the Authority's letters .

Question 7

How long does a Freedom of Information request take?

Accepted Answer

A public body must reply promptly and within 20 working days of receiving your request ( section 10 ). Working days exclude weekends and bank holidays. It can take longer only when it needs to weigh the public interest in releasing exempt information, and the Information Commissioner's guidance is that this should be no more than a further 20 working days. Schools have up to 60 working days if holidays fall in the period. If a deadline passes, ask for an internal review and then complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Question 8

What is the UK Statistics Authority?

Accepted Answer

The UK Statistics Authority is the independent body that oversees official statistics across the UK. It was set up by the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and reports to Parliament, not to ministers. It has two parts. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces national figures such as inflation, GDP and population. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) is its regulatory arm: it sets the Code of Practice for Statistics, decides which statistics are accredited, and writes publicly when figures are used in a way that could mislead. For fact checks, the Authority's published letters are the most useful part, because they are an official body's own finding on how a number was used. See our guide to the UK Statistics Authority .

Question 9

Where can I download UK government data?

Accepted Answer

Start with the publisher. The ONS has a free API with no key needed and offers most tables as CSV or spreadsheet. GOV.UK statistics pages link to each department's data tables, and data.gov.uk is a catalogue that points to datasets across the public sector. Several services have their own tools: Nomis for labour market and census data, DWP Stat-Xplore for benefits, Explore Education Statistics for schools, data.police.uk for crime, and the Bank of England database for interest rates and money. See the full official sources directory .

Question 10

Are Freedom of Information requests free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, making a request is free. A body can only charge for copying and postage, or refuse if finding the information would cost more than the "appropriate limit". Under the Fees Regulations 2004 that limit is £600 for central government and Parliament and £450 for other bodies, worked out at £25 an hour (24 or 18 hours of work). If your request is refused on cost under section 12, the body must help you narrow it. In Scotland the rules differ: requests are free up to £100 of costs and a body can refuse above £600.

Question 11

Is the Office for National Statistics reliable?

Accepted Answer

The ONS is the UK's largest producer of official statistics and works independently of ministers under the 2007 Act. Its figures are regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation, which can remove accreditation when quality falls short. That has happened. In 2023 OSR suspended the accredited status of the ONS Labour Force Survey estimates because of falling response rates, and the ONS labelled them "official statistics in development" while it rebuilt the survey. An independent review of the ONS's performance and culture, published in 2025, also set out problems and recommended changes. The practical answer is to check the label on each release, read the "quality and methodology" section, and note any revisions. Every ONS bulletin states its accreditation at the top.

Question 12

When are UK official statistics published?

Accepted Answer

Official statistics are announced in advance and published at a set time, usually 7am or 9:30am on a weekday. The full list is on the GOV.UK research and statistics release calendar, which covers the ONS and every department. The Code of Practice says release dates should be announced ahead and that statistics should not be shared before publication beyond those listed for pre-release access. If a minister quotes a figure before it is published, that can be raised with the Office for Statistics Regulation. Useful regular dates: inflation comes out mid-month, labour market figures on a Tuesday each month, monthly GDP about six weeks after the month ends, and public sector finances around the 20th.

Finding and checking official statistics: your questions answered