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The title of session poses a very clear question, namely: is it necessary for the production and dissemination of official statistics to be undertaken outside the Executive Branch of Government (EBG) in order to ensure, on a sustainable basis, their impartiality and freedom from untoward interference from political, administrative and other stakeholders? This is not a new question but it has become more pertinent in recent years as official statistics have become more relevant to the work of Government and indeed, more generally, to the functioning of society in the modern information age. I am delighted to have been invited to discuss the contributions of four eminent former colleagues to this debate. They bring a wealth of experience and a wide perspective to the discussion and this is reflected in the papers they have presented. Andreas Georgiou puts forward a strong case for placing the production of official statistics outside the EBG, citing the judicial system as an analogue. The nub of his argument is that professional independence cannot be guaranteed in a robust and sustainable manner unless the statistical agencies themselves are institutionally independent in the fullest sense through their placement outside the EBG. Pali Lehola, in drawing attention to the new challenging environment for statisticians in having to interact in real time with politicians and other stakeholders, points to the need for a safe space for them to operate independently. On the other hand, Jean-Luc Tavernier points to the situation in France as providing evidence that official statistics can be produced in a professionally independent manner by agencies operating within the EBG. Dennis Trewin also argues that statistical agencies can function in a professionally independent manner within the EBG and draws attention to the other factors that can improve trust in statistics and guarantee the independence of statisticians. While there is, therefore, no consensus between the authors on the optimal institutional arrangements for the production of official statistics, all four clearly attach a high priority to compliance with the principle of professional independence and also display a deep understanding of what it entails today to achieve such compliance in practice. I believe that this is firm evidence of the over-riding importance that is now attached to complying with this principle in the design of national statistical systems. In my view this reflects the modern environment in which statisticians must operate, where their outputs are increasingly used in the management and monitoring of our societies and economies. This was not always the case as I can recall no more than twenty-five years ago, when I first

Does the production of official statistics need to be a separate branch of Government or should it remain within the Executive Branch of Government?