Event – ‘Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics’: Playing the Numbers Game in Policy

This event is taking place during the evening of Wednesday, 13 April (18.30-20.00) in the British Library Entrance Hall and costs £6/£4 concessions.

For more information and booking, go to the British Library website: http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/event121514.html

Whether the phrase comes from Disraeli or Dilke, or even The West Wing, there have long been arguments about the accuracy and impact of statistics. Information collected in the Census has major political implications, but who decides what’s included? How is it used? And does it end up improving policy or practice?

The event will be chaired by Ceridwen Roberts, AcSS and Research Fellow, University of Oxford. Our speakers include David Walker, Contributing Editor Guardian Public, Richard Alldritt, Director General, Monitoring and Assessment, UK Statistics Authority and Nigel Hawkes, Director of Straight Statistics.

This event coincides with the current British Library exhibition ‘Census and Society: Why Everyone Counts’.