The Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde, has been appointed a non-executive director of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA).
Professor Mairi Spowage’s appointment was recommended by an assessment panel led by the Authority’s Chair, Sir Robert Chote after an open competition regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Ministers have appointed Professor Spowage, and two others – communications expert, Peter Barron, and risk and governance specialist, Dr Sarah Walsh – to serve a three-year term.
Official statistics
UKSA is an independent body operating at arm’s length from government as a non-ministerial department, which promotes and safeguards the production and publication of official statistics. The department oversees the operations of the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the Office of the Statistics Regulator (OSR).
As non-executive directors, the trio will provide valuable support as the Authority sets out a new strategy in 2025 and seeks to implement its response to the Lievesley Review and feedback from the first ever UK Statistics Assembly.
Professor Spowage said: “I am delighted to take up this role at UKSA, which plays a hugely important role in public life by championing and protecting the use of robust data that informs so many facets of our society.”
Professor Spowage leads the Fraser of Allander Institute, Scotland's leading economic research institute, with a focus on modelling economic impact, economic measurement, regional economic and trade performance and public sector finances.
She has previously held roles as the Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Fiscal Commission and Head of National Accounts at the Scottish Government, with almost 20 years of experience of working in statistics and analysis, including transport, household surveys and performance measurement. Professor Spowage also holds advisory roles for the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and the Finance and Public Administration Committee.
Sir Robert Chote, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, said: “I am delighted to welcome Peter, Mairi and Sarah to the Authority’s Board. They will be an asset to the Board and its oversight of the Office for National Statistics, the Office for Statistics Regulation and the Government Statistical Service, the three pillars of the UK’s official statistical system.
“They join the Board in a time of sustained pressure on the system, and I am pleased that their decades of experience will help us respond to that pressure in a considered and thoughtful way.”