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9. What explains changes in perceptions of responsibility over time?
9.1 Have attitudes towards responsibility for public services shifted across the board since the earlier years of devolution, or is it specific groups of people who are now much more likely to see the Scottish Executive as responsible for standards in public services? Is it, for example, people who know more about Scottish Executive activities, people with an interest in politics, or those who support parties which have been in government in Scotland up to 2006 who are most likely to have moved towards thinking the Scottish Executive is responsible for key areas?
9.2 Tables 10 and 11 show the proportions who attributed responsibility for standards in health and education to the Scottish Executive and the UK government respectively for key demographic and attitudinal groups in 2001 and 2006. The first thing to note is that the increase in the proportion attributing responsibility for both health and education to the Scottish Executive and the corresponding decrease in the proportion attributing it to the UK government has occurred across all socio-demographic and attitudinal groups. Men and women, younger and older people, people who support devolution and those who would prefer Westminster rule were all more likely to think the Scottish Executive responsible for standards in health and education in 2006 than they were in 2001 (Tables 10 and 11).
9.3 Moreover, for many groups the patterns in terms of who was more likely to think the Scottish Executive or UK government responsible were broadly the same in 2006 as in 2001. For example, those with 'a great deal' or 'a lot' of interest in politics were more likely than those with little interest to think the Scottish Executive responsible for standards in the health service and education in both 2001 and 2006 (Tables 10 and 11).
Table 10 Beliefs about responsibility for standards in the health service, by demographic and attitudinal factors, 2001 and 2006 (cell %)
| Scottish Executive is responsible for health standards | UK government is responsible for health standards |
|---|
2001 | 2006 | Change (2006-2001) | 2001 | 2006 | Change (2006-2001) |
|---|
All | 11 | 25 | +14 | 53 | 32 | -21 |
|---|
Sex |
|---|
Male | 11 | 26 | +15 | 57 | 31 | -26 |
|---|
Female | 11 | 25 | +14 | 51 | 34 | -17 |
|---|
Age |
|---|
18 to 24 | 11 | 23 | +12 | 50 | 28 | -22 |
|---|
25 to 39 | 7 | 23 | +16 | 50 | 27 | -23 |
|---|
40 to 64 | 13 | 26 | +13 | 56 | 34 | -22 |
|---|
65+ | 12 | 29 | +17 | 55 | 36 | -19 |
|---|
Educational qualifications |
|---|
None | 12 | 25 | +13 | 52 | 34 | -18 |
|---|
Standard grades/ GCSEs | 11 | 22 | +11 | 55 | 35 | -20 |
|---|
Highers/A levels | 9 | 27 | +17 | 52 | 26 | -26 |
|---|
Degree/Higher Education | 11 | 27 | +16 | 53 | 33 | -20 |
|---|
Political party identification |
|---|
SNP | 12 | 24 | +12 | 59 | 37 | -22 |
|---|
Lib Dem | 13 | 27 | +14 | 55 | 28 | -27 |
|---|
Labour | 13 | 27 | +14 | 52 | 35 | -17 |
|---|
Conservative | 11 | 27 | +16 | 58 | 36 | -22 |
|---|
None | 5 | 22 | +17 | 47 | 23 | -24 |
|---|
Constitutional preference |
|---|
Westminster rule | 7 | 23 | +16 | 54 | 41 | -13 |
|---|
Devolution | 11 | 28 | +17 | 54 | 31 | -23 |
|---|
Independence | 14 | 26 | +12 | 57 | 34 | -23 |
|---|
Newspaper readership |
|---|
Tabloid | 11 | 25 | +14 | 57 | 38 | -19 |
|---|
Broadsheet | 13 | 32 | +19 | 52 | 23 | -29 |
|---|
None | 10 | 22 | +12 | 49 | 31 | -18 |
|---|
Interest in politics |
|---|
Not much/none | 9 | 22 | +13 | 51 | 29 | -22 |
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A great deal/a lot | 14 | 32 | +18 | 55 | 32 | -23 |
|---|
Table 11 Beliefs about responsibility for standards in education, by demographic and attitudinal factors, 2001 and 2006 (cell %)
| Scottish Executive is responsible for education standards | UK government is responsible for education standards |
|---|
2001 | 2006 | Change (2006-2001) | 2001 | 2006 | Change (2006-2001) |
|---|
All | 19 | 33 | +14 | 40 | 20 | -20 |
|---|
Sex |
|---|
Male | 21 | 34 | +13 | 39 | 22 | -17 |
|---|
Female | 16 | 33 | +19 | 40 | 19 | -21 |
|---|
Age |
|---|
18 to 24 | 20 | 28 | +8 | 40 | 27 | -13 |
|---|
25 to 39 | 16 | 31 | +15 | 42 | 20 | -22 |
|---|
40 to 64 | 21 | 36 | +15 | 40 | 20 | -20 |
|---|
65+ | 17 | 31 | +14 | 35 | 18 | -17 |
|---|
Educational qualifications |
|---|
None | 15 | 30 | +15 | 41 | 17 | -24 |
|---|
Standard grades/ GCSEs | 16 | 27 | +11 | 40 | 25 | -15 |
|---|
Highers/A levels | 26 | 36 | +10 | 32 | 20 | -12 |
|---|
Degree/Higher Education | 20 | 40 | +20 | 41 | 19 | -22 |
|---|
Political party identification |
|---|
SNP | 20 | 36 | +16 | 45 | 24 | -21 |
|---|
Lib Dem | 24 | 33 | +9 | 35 | 27 | -8 |
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Labour | 20 | 39 | +19 | 44 | 20 | -24 |
|---|
Conservative | 18 | 38 | +20 | 31 | 18 | -13 |
|---|
None | 10 | 21 | +11 | 33 | 20 | -13 |
|---|
Constitutional preference |
|---|
Westminster rule | 11 | 27 | +16 | 34 | 29 | -5 |
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Devolution | 21 | 36 | +15 | 39 | 19 | -20 |
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Independence | 19 | 34 | +15 | 46 | 23 | -23 |
|---|
Newspaper readership |
|---|
Tabloid | 17 | 37 | +20 | 43 | 21 | -22 |
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Broadsheet | 26 | 38 | +12 | 37 | 19 | -18 |
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None | 15 | 27 | +12 | 36 | 21 | -15 |
|---|
Interest in politics |
|---|
Not much/none | 12 | 26 | +14 | 41 | 21 | -20 |
|---|
A great deal/a lot | 28 | 40 | +12 | 36 | 20 | -16 |
|---|
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