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Small Businesses: Statistics

Asked by Edward MorelloLiberal DemocratTreasuryTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 25086

The question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of compulsory Office for National Statistics surveys on small engineering businesses in West Dorset.

Answered by Treasury

HM Treasury has not conducted an assessment of the impact of ONS business surveys and has not discussed reducing the frequency of compulsory business surveys with the UK Statistics Authority. The Treasury recognises that surveys place a burden on businesses that respond, but note that timely responses from a representative sample of firms are essential to producing the high-quality data that underpin statistics on GDP, employment, wages, inflation and trade. These statistics are crucial to monitoring the UK economy and informing important decisions across government and the private sector. The independent ONS is responsible for producing these statistics.

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