Post by Roland, Corporate Digital Team, Welsh Government
Find out about our commitment to accessibility in this introduction to our approach on GOV.WALES.
Continue readingAccessibility is at the core of GOV.WALES
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Chief statistician’s update: improvements to NHS performance statistics
Each month we publish a wide range of NHS secondary care statistics, from urgent and emergency care to diagnostics, therapies and NHS waiting lists. We’ve recently made some changes to improve the relevance and timeliness of our data and to reflect a change in the way 999 ambulance calls are managed.
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Continue readingGuest Blog: Building Wales’ Digital future – the role of the Digital and Data Standards Board
Post by Rebecca Godfrey, Interim CEO of the Welsh Revenue Authority and Chair of the Digital and Data Standards Board for Wales
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On 24 July, I chaired the Digital and Data Standards Board for Wales and I wanted to update you on our work.
The Digital Strategy for Wales aims at driving a culture change in Wales – being open, using data to solve problems and putting people at the heart of all we do. The Digital Service Standards for Wales help us think about how we do this.
Continue readingChief Statistician’s update: updating the names for Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Wales
Following extensive engagement with local authorities, we have a final list of updated names for the Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Wales. These updated names ensure that they are intuitive, bilingual and reflective of the electoral ward names and the local communities they represent.
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Continue readingCyber Action Plan for Wales: Two Years On
Post by Cyber Co-ordination and Leadership Team, Welsh Government
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Two years ago we launched the Cyber Action Plan for Wales, setting out our vision that Wales prospers through cyber resilience, talent and innovation.
The Plan’s four priority areas are to:
- Grow our cyber ecosystem
- Build a pipeline of cyber talent
- Strengthen our resilience
- Protect public services
Chief Statistician’s update: StatsWales is changing: what you need to know
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StatsWales is an invaluable resource for researchers, policymakers, and citizens since its inception. With over 280,000 unique users each year, it serves as a comprehensive repository of Welsh statistics and data. Whether you are delving into economic trends, health data, or the shape of our population, StatsWales provides the detailed insights you need to understand various facets of Welsh life.
Continue readingPredicting Energy Efficiency across all Welsh Homes
Post by Joseph HC, Data Science Unit, Welsh Government
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Information on the energy efficiency of homes across Wales is helpful for policy makers as evidence for fuel poverty, energy strategy and green initiative policies. In the Data Science Unit, we have been working on a project to build a stronger evidence base for the energy efficiency of Welsh homes.
The most up-to-date source of information available on the energy efficiency of homes is the Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) Register. The Register, however, only covers half of all homes in Wales and is overrepresented by newer, more energy efficient homes. This is because legislation was introduced in 2008 that made EPC surveys a mandatory requirement when selling or renting a property.
This blog describes how we have been using the register of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) to build a dataset that covers every residential property in Wales. This work builds on a project undertaken by the Office for National Statistics’ Data Science Campus: Using machine learning to predict energy efficiency | Data Science Campus.
Continue readingGuest Blog: Unpacking the Welsh Economy: Reflections on the Compilation of the Input-Output Tables for Wales
Post by Professor Calvin Jones, Academic Advisor, Knowledge and Analytical Services, Welsh Government
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Introduction
In 2022 Welsh Government began the process of compiling and publishing a set of Supply and Use (SUTs) and Input-Output Tables (IOTs) for Wales. These were to be the first holistic picture of the Welsh economy produced following Scotland (which has published SUTs and IOTs for decades) and Northern Ireland (which has done so for the post EU exit period).
The publication was intended to improve our understanding – inside and outside Welsh Government – of how the Welsh economy ‘worked’ in terms of production, trade and product use. More importantly, it was to determine whether collating such a picture – consistently, across all products, industries and users – was feasible, whilst guaranteeing a reasonable level of quality and robustness. The project delivered an Input-Output publication for Wales (for base-year 2019), detailing the structures and activities of 55 industries in Wales, along with related product use and supply. The Supply and Use and Input-Output Tables (hereafter called IOTs for simplicity) have been published as official statistics in development, together with an extensive methodology document.
Continue readingHow Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help make online content easier to read
Post by Joe, Data Science Unit, Welsh Government
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The Data Science Unit has recently been exploring potential uses of Generative AI. One project has developed a proof-of-concept tool that uses Generative AI to assist in editing text content. The aim of the tool was to:
- support content designers in the Welsh Government by providing them a better draft to work from; and,
- help everyone produce better content (we do not have enough content designers for all our content!)
The tool could save the content designers time, focus their skills on the more challenging problems and improve our written content.
Continue readingUsing automated tools to check accessibility
Post by Mark and Roland, Corporate Digital Team, Welsh Government
Maximising the accessibility of GOV.WALES is a crucial part of providing a great service for everyone. It’s also the law.
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