The Office for National Statistics (ONS) regional presence in the West Midlands has been hosted at the West Midlands Regional Observatory since April 2007.
ONS are here to provide data, analysis and advice specifically for the West Midlands and aim to be the first point of contact for statistical enquiries.
Several key functions for the Regional Statistics team include:
- Providing a first point of contact for ONS users within the West Midlands.
- Providing independent advice to users on ONS and wider Government Statistical Service (GSS) statistics, including advice on technical issues.
- Providing wider access to ONS/GSS data to partners.
- Facilitating training for partners on, for example, economic statistics.
- Gathering intelligence to help improve the quality of ONS data and processes, particularly relating to regional Gross Value Added (GVA).
- Assessing, or assisting in the assessment of, locally commissioned or locally held data.
- Advising ONS in its decision-making by acting as a focus to feed views through from regional bodies.
The team also spends a quarter of their time working with partners in the West Midlands on collaborative projects.
Meet the team 
Stuart Onyeche
ONS Regional Analyst
Email stuart.onyeche@ons.gsi.gov.uk
Tel 0121 202 3256
Stuart is part of a small team working for the ONS, co-located at the Observatory. Prior to the ONS, he worked for the BBC producing research and statistics relating to the corporation's local and regional services. Stuart has a BSc (Hons) in Meteorology from the University of Reading, and a post-graduate diploma in Urban & Regional Studies from the University of Birmingham.