The UK Statistics Authority was established on 1 April 2008 to promote and safeguard the quality of official statistics across the UK. It is an independent body, with powers to monitor and report on all official statistics. Further information is available on the UK Statistics Authority website.

The latest version of the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics was published in May 2022.

Official Statistics in Forest Research and the Forestry Commission

We produce a range of Official Statistics, including 5 releases designated as National Statistics.

National Statistics:

• Forestry Facts & Figures (annual)
• Forestry Statistics (annual)
• Provisional Woodland Statistics (annual)
• Timber Price Indices (twice yearly)
• UK Wood Production and Trade: provisional figures (annual)

Other Official Statistics (regular release):

• Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators (annual)
• Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators: Headline Performance Update (quarterly)
• Government supported new planting of trees in England (twice yearly)
• Nursery Survey (annual)
• Public Opinion of Forestry Survey: reports for UK/England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland (mainly biennial)
• UK data submitted to international organisations:
  • European Forest Accounts: UK data (annual)
  • Global Forest Resources Assessment: UK (5 yearly)
  • Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire: UK data (provisional and final data) (annual)
  • Joint Wood Energy Enquiry: UK data (biennial)
  • UNECE Timber Forecast Questionnaire: UK return (annual)

Other Official Statistics (ad hoc release):

• National Forest Inventory:
  • 50 year forecasts (softwood and hardwood)
  • Biomass in live woodland trees in Britain
  • Carbon in live woodland trees in Britain
  • Interim statistics on the health of ash trees in Britain
  • Preliminary estimates of the change in canopy cover in British woodlands between 2006 and 2015
  • Preliminary estimates of presence and extent of Rhododendron in British woodlands
  • Squirrel stripping damage and presence of squirrels in woodland in Britain
  • Statistics for England and aligned areas
  • Tree cover outside woodland in Great Britain
  • Woodland area statistics (GB, England, Wales, Scotland)
  • Woodland ecological condition: statistics
  • Woodland ownership in Great Britain

Breaches of the Code of Practice

For all our Official Statistics, we aim to comply fully with the Code of Practice for Statistics. Any breaches of the Code that may be reportable to the UK Statistics Authority are documented in our breach report.

Release Practices

All of our Official Statistics outputs are freely available on the Internet.

Availability of detailed results

Detailed results are available on request, subject to restrictions of confidentiality.