Working with elected representatives at all levels can help make sure services are effective and meet all our needs…

Working with parliamentarians

getstats is beginning to work with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on statistics and the House of Commons Library to support politicians in understanding and using statistics.

Two initial seminars for parliamentarians and their staff  launched the getstats campaign in parliament  project in Autumn 2011.

Promoted in association with SAS UK, these events demonstrated the power of numbers Speakers were: Professor David Spiegelhalter, University of Cambridge whose talk ‘Communicating Risk and Uncertainty’ took place in October and Tim Harford, Presenter of Radio 4′s ‘More or Less’ programme whose talk ’Numbers are weapons: a self-defence guide’ took place in November .

Working with police and crime commissioners

Londoners elect a mayor in May. Elsewhere in England and in Wales elections take place for the first time in November for police and crime commissioners - a new official with powers over the budgets and policy of the police. Alongside the commissioners will sit police and crime panels, made up of councillors. We believe the elections could be an opportunity for the public to learn from the data – about police for performance, police numbers and costs and the complicated relationships which lie behind the figures for crime and anti-social behaviour.

For information about the elections go to the Police Foundation; follow the Channel Four correspondent Michael Crick;

Developing expert advice

The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) actively develops expert advice and policy on major public issues, such as swine flu, ecosystem change and criminal justice.

Informing policy making

By responding to consultations and public inquiries the RSS promotes cost-effective, evidence-informed policy making.