GSS Conference agenda
Explore the outline schedule for the Government Statistical Service (GSS) Conference – Ahead of the curve: preparing for the future of statistics, which takes place on 4 November 2025.
Use the drop-down sections to view keynotes, parallel sessions, and panels. Further speakers will be added as they are announced.
Opening the day
Tea, coffee and water will be provided to attendees upon arrival.
Speaker: Emma Rourke, Acting Head of the Government Statistical Service and Acting National Statistician
Innovating our practice to level up statistical processes
Speaker: Ed Humpherson, Head of the Office for Statistics Regulation
For attendees, this networking session will be facilitated by a Deputy Head of the GSS.
Online attendees will be organised into breakout rooms and supported by online facilitators from the committee.
A 10-minute break, with refreshments provided.
Attendees will select one of five parallel sessions
- Improving Insights: Iteratively building a Reproducible Analytical Pipeline for NHS Scotland Waiting Times. Speaker: Laura Dale, Scottish Government.
- The death of Excel? Community led transformation of analytical processes at Welsh Government. Speaker: Stephanie Howarth, Welsh Government.
- De-identification using the Reference Data Management Framework: enhancing privacy and utility in linked data. Speaker: Nick Mavron, Office for National Statistics.
- Steering the statistical system: a conversation with the UK Statistics Authority Board. Speakers: Penny Young, Interim Chair, UK Statistics Authority Board, Mairi Spowage, Non-executive Board Member, UK Statistics Authority.
- Reinventing the process of collating sector statistics through AI. Speakers: Kate Brosnan, Claire Beaton and Rachael Sanderson, Office for Life Sciences.
Embedding Trustworthiness, Quality and Value – Panel discussion
In support of the new Code of Practice for Statistics 3.0, senior leaders will share their views and answer your questions about the changes in the new code, and approaches for developing the way we embed the pillars of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value across the UK Statistical System.
Speakers: Ed Humpherson (OSR), Penny Young and Mairi Spowage (UK Statistics Authority), Jane Naylor (GSS, DBT), Rachel Skentelbery (ONS). Further information is available on the GSS speakers page.
A one-hour lunch break, with food and refreshments provided.
Building capabilities for the future
Speaker: Eric Anvar, Head of Smart Data at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Statistics and Data Directorate
For attendees, discussions will be held at their tables in the main conference room, facilitated by a Deputy Head.
Online attendees will be organised into breakout rooms by our online facilitators from the conference committee.
AI in Government Statistics: Opportunities, Risks and the Road Ahead.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here, and it’s One Big Thing to think about. This session aims to discuss how we can leverage AI for statistics, including considerations of the challenges, benefits and risks to be aware of. We welcome all attendees to ask questions to the panel about the use of AI when working with statistics.
Speakers: Eric Anvar (OECD), Sophie Stewart (Home Office), Benedicte Terryn (FCDO), Andrew Larkham (DSIT, GDS), Steve Ellerd-Elliott (GSS, DWP). Further information is available on the GSS Speakers page.
Attendees will select one of five parallel sessions
- Developing new topic modelling with AI capability for people survey analysis. Speaker: Tom Nott, Harry Barnard and Luke Heley, Ministry of Defence.
- Empowering local decisions: OLSA’s role in enhancing subnational data use. Speaker: Katie Coria, Office for National Statistics.
- Heatwaves, cold snaps and mortality – innovation in methods for public health action. Speaker: Mo Davies, UK Health Security Agency.
- Building a toolkit for the Future Statistician. Speakers: Steve Ellerd-Elliott, Government Statistical Service, and Ricky McGowan, Royal Statistical Society.
- Unlocking insights: innovations in homelessness data linking. Speaker: Kirsty Hendry, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
A 10-minute break, with refreshments provided.
Collaborating to transform experiences
Attendees will select one of five parallel sessions
- Designing Census 2031. Speakers: Owen Abbott and Orlaith Fraser (ONS), Sandy Fitzpatrick (NISRA), Stephanie Howarth (Welsh Government), Esta Clark (NRS).
- How high? Collaborating to analyse performance of high growth technology sectors. Speaker: Sam Caton, HMRC.
- Data First: transforming the linking of justice data through innovation and collaboration. Speaker: Georgina Eaton, Ministry of Justice.
- Building on Consistency: Scalable API Access to Official Statistics. Speaker: Cameron Race, Department for Education.
- Transforming the ONS website – putting users first. Speakers: Patrick Scott, Office for National Statistics.
Speaker: Professor Allison Littlejohn, Pro-Vice Provast for University College London (UCL)’s Grand Challenge Data Empowered Societies, and Professor of Learning and Technology at UCL.
Speakers: Steve Ellerd-Elliot and Jane Naylor
One year on from the launch of the GSS Vision, Strength in Numbers, the Deputy Heads of the GSS will come together to celebrate the progress we’ve made, reflect on the journey so far, and look ahead to the opportunities and challenges that await us as we continue to shape the future of the statistical system—together.
These sessions are available to in-person attendees only:
- Drop-in with the Deputy Heads of the GSS
- Open networking with other attendees
- Harmonisation drop-in with the GSS Harmonisation team