Len Cook

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Leonard Warren Cook, CBE generally known as Len Cook (born 13 April 1949 in Dunedin, New Zealand) was the head of the United Kingdom Office for National Statistics and Registrar General of England and Wales from 25 May 2000 to 31 August 2005. He was New Zealand Government Statistician from 1992 to 2000.

[edit] Career in New Zealand

He was educated at Bayfield High School, Dunedin and the University of Otago. After joining the New Zealand Department of Statistics (now Statistics New Zealand) in 1971, he was appointed as Assistant Government Statistician in 1982, and Deputy Government Statistician in 1986. Len Cook was a member of the Royal Commission on Social Policy in New Zealand in 1987/88, and a member of the secretariat of the Prime Minister's Task Force on Tax Reform in 1981/82.

[edit] Career in the United Kingdom

Mr Cook was the second head of the ONS, but the first to have the title of National Statistician. He was succeeded by Karen Dunnell. He was the first Registrar General born outside the United Kingdom, and the first not to be married (though he has a partner, Shirley Flora Vollweiler).

When his appointment as head of the Office for National Statistics was announced, his hobbies were said to include "tramping". This caused much amusement in the Office, as it was understood that in New Zealand this can mean hiking or sacking staff. (The latter meaning is actually Australian and not New Zealand English.) His other main hobby is fly fishing.

Len Cook has a particular interest in social policy, demography, statistical methodology, and the application of information technology in statistical systems. He is interested in the promotion of research methodology in public policy analysis and decision-making, with past interests particularly in retirement provision and taxation policies.

Probably his most publicised act in his time in the United Kingdom came in February 2005, when as Registrar General he had to rule on the legality of the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles.

[edit] Honours and awards

He was elected a Chartered Statistician of the Royal Statistical Society in 1973 and a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2005.

He is serving as one of three vice-presidents of the International Statistical Institute from 2005 to 2007. He is a visiting fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.

He was made a CBE in June 2005.