Data source (and subjects covered)

Frequency of data

Type of respondent

Scottish coverage

Survey size

Scottish Executive
The Scottish Household Survey
Survey designed to provide the Scottish Parliament with accurate, up-to-date information about the characteristics, attitudes and behaviour of Scottish households and individuals on a wide range of issues related to social inclusion, local government and transport. Information includes household type, tenure, health & social care, public and private transport details, income, financial matters, volunteering, access to internet.

Survey is initially being funded for 4 years with reports every quarter (1999-2002 inclusive)

All adults in households, random adult in household

Local authority area (for each 2 year sample)

2 samples of 31,000 households over the first 4 years

Office for National Statistics
The Labour Force Survey
Designed to provide information on the UK labour market which can then be used to develop, manage, evaluate and report on labour market policies. A wide range of information is collected on respondents' personal circumstances and labour market status including economic activity, duration of unemployment, industry of employment, occupation, mode of employment, social class, qualifications.

• Biennial from 1979 (but not using ILO definition of unemployment)
• Annual from 1984
• Quarterly from 1992

All adults in household

Local authority area, Local Enterprise Company (LEC) Area

Approx 9,300 households in Scotland

General Register Office for Scotland
Population Estimates and Projections

• Mid year population estimates for Scotland by sex, single year of age, council and health board area
• Population projections for Scotland by sex, single year of age and sex

Births, Marriages and deaths

• Births, birth rate, live/still births
• Marital status, mean age at marriage, method of celebration, denomination
• Divorces by ground, duration of marriage, sex & age at divorce, age at marriage
• Deaths by administrative area, country of birth, cause of death
• Expectation of life

• Estimates of the Scottish population - annual
• Population projections for the administrative areas of Scotland - every 2 years
• National Scottish projections - every 2 years
• Information on births, deaths, marriages etc - each quarter

All individuals

Local authority area, Health Board Area

Census

Population Census
A wide range of information including:

• Household type and characteristics (tenure, amenities)
• Labour market information
• Personal characteristics
• Rural/urban locality of population
• Religion (for 2001 census)

Marital status, lone mothers, average number of children per family

Every 10 years

All individuals

Lowest level: "output areas" which are areas containing about 40 households

Census

Scottish Executive
Household Projections
The calculation of projected household numbers involves using the following two main sources of information:

• Data on trends in household formation from previous Censuses of Population.
• Population projections produced by the General Register Office for Scotland.

Approximately every 2 years

Local authority area

Census

Housing Trends
Information on housing in Scotland for elderly people and disabled people by type of housing and sector.

Annual

Local authority area

Census

Scottish Homes
Scottish House Condition Survey
Information on the housing stock (property type, age, size, condition) and occupants (household type, health, employment).

Every 5-6 years (there were Surveys in 1991 and 1996 a third survey is scheduled for 2002)

Any one householder

Scotland (local authority area for some variables)

20,000 households

Scottish Executive
School Census
Information on sex, school year (and ethnicity, numbers with English as a 2nd language from 2000 onwards) for pupils in schools; and information on sex, age and type of disability/record of needs for pupils in special schools.

The National Management Information Systems Project (NMIS) will replace the school census.

NMIS will improve information from schools and Education Authorities through electronic data exchange. It will also open up new opportunities for analysis of equality issues by providing better access to information and better data linking.

Annual

All school pupils

School

Census

Teacher Census
Information on sex, age, qualification held, and subjects taught for teachers in schools. The National Management Information Systems Project (NMIS) will replace the teacher census (see above).

Annual

All teachers

School

Census

Further and Higher Education Statistics
Various data (age, sex, subject, level of study) on students and staff in further and higher education institutions. Data are collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and the Student Awards Agency Scotland.

Annual

All further and higher education students

Local authority area of student's permanent home address

Census

Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
Examination Results
Information on sex, stage in school, grades obtained at different stages and qualifications obtained when leaving school. The SQA, and the Scottish Executive (Education Statistics and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools), produce publications from this data.

Annual

All school leavers

Constituency or Local authority area

Census

Office for National Statistics
The Labour Force Survey
See multi-purpose section.

Department for Social Security
Family Resources Survey (FRS)
Information on: receipt of Social Security benefits, housing costs, assets and savings, type of family, mean income, source of income. Although some of the information collected is available elsewhere, the FRS provides new or much more detailed information in a number of areas and brings some topics together on one survey for the first time.

Annual

All adults in household

Scotland

Approx 1,700 households in Scotland

Households Below Average Income
Derived from the Family Resources Survey, and previously (pre-1993/94), derived from the Family Expenditure Survey. Includes data from the Survey of Personal Incomes.
Information on household income by characteristics of the household. Concentrates on households below average income.

Annual

All adults in household

Scotland

Approx 1,700 households in Scotland

Social Security Claimants
Data on those claiming specific social security benefits is derived as a by-product of the Department of Social Security's systems for administering the relevant benefits. Information is available on the number of claimants split by a range of variables including: type and rate of benefit, age of claimant, length of award, and region/area of residence.

Quarterly, twice yearly or annual depending on benefit

Social Security claimants

Variable - normally available by Government Office region, local authority, parliamentary constitutency. Also ward and postcode sector for some benefits

Variable - usually a 5% sample, although for some benefits selected 100% data is also available.

Office for National Statistics
New Earnings Survey
Information on the earnings of employees in businesses of all kinds and sizes. Data are collected on hours worked, industry, occupation, place of work, sex, age, respondents' personal circumstances, labour market status, levels, distributions and make-up of earnings of employees.

Annual

Employees

Data available by local authority area for authorities with large sample size

15-20,000 people in Scotland

Family Expenditure Survey
Survey of household expenditure on goods and services, and household income.

Annual

Households

Scotland

Approx 600 households in Scotland

Information and Statistics Division,
NHSScotland (ISD)
The ISD of the NHS compiles the latest available data and trend statistics on a comprehensive range of health topics to assist planning, policy, performance measurement and research. Most of the data is provided by NHS trusts, health boards and general medical practitioners.

Main publication: "Scottish Health Statistics" is produced annually (but continuous recording)

Individuals

Local authority area, Health Board Area

Various, usually census (mostly administrative records)

Scottish Executive
Scottish Health Survey
Information collected on a wide range of health related information including details of physical activity, eating habits, smoking, drinking, blood pressure, obesity, respiratory, blood and cardiovascular problems, and general health matters.

Every 3 years

Individuals

Health Board Area

1995: 8,000 people
1998: 12,000 people

Scottish Executive
Court Proceedings database
All persons proceeded against in Scottish Courts. Information on main crime and sentence.

Annual

Individuals

Sheriff court or local authority areas

Census

Recorded Crime database
All crimes and offences recorded by the police. Information on volume of crime, type of offence and clear up rates.

Annual

Crimes

Local authority area

Census

Homicide database
All homicides recorded in Scotland. Information on location, method of killing, relationship of accused to victim and motive. By victims and accused persons.

Annual

Homicides

Local authority area

Census

The Scottish Crime Survey
Survey covers experiences of crime, percentions of crime and perceptions of policing in Scotland. Data are available on estimated victimisation rates for specific categories of crime, reporting rates to police, public perceptions of crime and the police. Data also available on drugs use (drugs offered and taken), method of use and perceptions of risk.

Every 3-4 years (there were Scotish Crime Surveys in 1993, 1996, and 2000)

Individuals

Scotland

Approx 5,000 individuals

Scottish Prison Service
Scottish Prisoner Records
All prisoner warrants and movements in Scotland. Information on sentence length, main crime, prisoner history and other prison related information.

Annual

Prisoners

Local authority area

Census

Office for National Statistics
National Travel Survey
Survey collects "travel diary" details from a sample of households across Great Britain. Travel for all private purposes is included. It provides information about travel patterns by age-group, by sex, by socio-economic group, by working status, by household income quintile and by whether or not the household has a car.

Annual, but since the survey includes only 300 or so households in Scotland each year, samples collected over three years are combined.

All household members

Scotland

300 households in Scotland

National Centre for Social Research
Scottish Social Attitudes Survey
The series began in 1999 and provides a unique source of data for monitoring and interpreting the attitudes of the Scottish public towards a range of social, political, economic and moral issues. It is based on the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey (see below). Many questions asked on SSA are also included on BSA, enabling comparison between Scotland and the rest of Britain.

The survey is funded on a "modular" basis, with different funders supporting modules of questions dealing with a particular topic of relevance. The findings are published in an annual report and the data will be available for secondary analysis from the UK Data Archive at the University of Essex.

Annual (from 2001 onwards)

One adult per household

Scotland, East and West Scotland, Central Belt vs rest of Scotland

1,600 adults

British Social Attitudes Survey
The British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey series was conceived and first carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (then SCPR) in 1983.

Annual

One adult per household

Britain

Over 3,000 adults

Institute for Social and Economic Research (funded by ESRC)
British Household Panel Survey
Individual and household details include:
neighbourhood and individual demographics, current employment, labour and non-labour income, health and caring, employment history, values and opinions.

Issues asked every 2 waves of survey include: attitude towards cost/payments for health care, distribution of wealth - social justice, government's roles and responsibilities, environment, management of household expenditures. There are also different topical issues in each wave of the survey.

Annual

All adults in households

Scotland

Approx 2,000 households in Scotland

Sportscotland
Information on sports participation by type of sport, social class, frequency of sport participation, club membership.

Annual

Adults and children

Scotland

6,000 adults per year