5. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the opportunity to work with the Office for National Statistics? OAQ(5)0183(FM)

We work with the ONS across a range of issues, including the census, of course, economic statistics, the National Survey for Wales and, of course, the development of the new data campus.

Thank you, First Minister. The ONS’s new data science campus is being established in Newport. The campus aims to build world-leading expertise in data science and benefit from faster, richer economic, social and environmental data. The campus will also carry out cutting-edge research for the public good, exploiting the growth and availability of innovative sources. Several data science apprenticeships under the Welsh Government’s scheme will be filled, and an MSc in analysis for government will start in 2017, working with a number of universities. This will help to develop significant expertise in this area, and presents an opportunity to create a data hub around the ONS in Newport by attracting other companies. What can the Welsh Government do to support and encourage this development for the benefit of the Welsh economy?

The creation of the campus is a great boost for the region; it shows that that tech sector is thriving, and we’ve been working with the ONS to help them to maximise the benefits for Wales. It does provide us with an opportunity as a Government to explore the use of new sources of data, and to encourage more intelligent use of data and analytics within the public sector. We are already considering what potential projects we might be able to move forward with the help of the ONS.

Following the ONS reclassification of housing associations, will you, First Minister, set out whether you are intending to make legislative changes similar to those of the UK Government in England to retain the status of housing associations as independent social businesses, following, of course, changes brought about through the last UK Government’s Housing and Regeneration Act 2008?

I refer the Member to the answer I gave to Simon Thomas in question 1.

With respect to the ONS data centre and the link with economics, I worked as an economist previously and hugely benefited from relations with ONS statisticians. There was a time when the ONS emphasised selling data and using it to bring in revenue to Government, but now has a policy of open data. Does the First Minister agree that the Welsh Government should support that in its own approach, and also that there could be a huge opportunities for companies to come to Newport, benefit from its improving connections and that raw supply of data and expert statisticians we will have in Newport?

These things have to be looked at; I understand that. The chief digital officer will be considering issues such as this, but we know, for example, that in March this year we did see the publication of the first open data plan for Wales, and that contains our thoughts in terms of how that matter can be developed in the future.