The Office for National Statistics will be asking questions concerning gender identity and sexual orientation in its upcoming census. Answers from these questions will be used to “help build a clearer picture for policy-makers and service providers.” Iain Bell, the ONS deputy national statistician discussed the addition of LGBTQ+ statistics with the Observer, stating: ” Without robust data on the size of the LGBT population at a national and local level, decision-makers are operating in a vacuum, unaware of the extent and nature of disadvantage which LGBT people may be experiencing in terms of educational outcomes, employment, and housing.”