David Walker

Statistical reportingAll Conservative Labour

Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Agree Disagree

% % % % % %

I generally feel confident when dealing with numbers 77 7 76 6 72 11

Politicians use official statistics and figures accurately when talking about their policies

28 40 17 38 30 47

Newspapers and television channels report statistics accurately

15 57 13 66 18 53

Q. How strongly do you agree or disagree with each of the statements? Base: All MPs (97), Conservative MPs (41) and Labour MPs (44) asked, Winter 2011

• • The Smith Inquiry on Post-14 Mathematics (2004) • • A Higher Degree of Concern, Study by The Royal Society (2008) • • Review of Strategically Important and Vulnerable Subjects HEFCE

(2005) • • Is the UK an outlier? Hodgen et al (2010) • • Scoping Study to Identify Quantitative Methods Capacity Building

Needs in Wales - Final Report Lynch et al (2007) • • Scoping Study to Identify Quantitative Methods Capacity Building

Needs in Scotland – Final Report McVie et al (2008) • • Adding It Up: a Performance and Innovation Unit Report (2000) • • Demographic Review of the UK Social Sciences Mills et al (2006) • • International Benchmarking Review of UK Sociology ESRC (2010)

53%47%

MPs’ ability to calculate probabilities

Q. If you spin a coin twice, what is the probability of getting two heads? Base: All MPs (97), Conservative MPs (41) and Labour MPs (44) asked, Winter 2011

15%

25%

40%

50%

75%

Other

Don't know

2

40

1

45

1

5

7

% All MPs

Prob

abili

ty o

f getti

ng tw

o he

ads

23%

77%

Correct answer

Correct answer

Incorrect answer / DK

Incorrect answer /

DK

Example successes

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