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2002-3 Statistical Plan

2.7 Education and Training (Minister for Education and Young People, Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning)

Key elements of this work programme are

• the need to develop new modes of data collection, in order both to reduce the compliance burden as far as possible, and widen the range of analyses that can be provided
• adapting data collections to respond to shifting policy requirements.

In taking forward this work there will be a need to consider the demographic change in both pupils and teaching staff, the increased attention to the socially excluded, and to the position in society of minority groups and the growing demands for geographic data.

Outputs

Summary of main outputs

• Outputs for the school and pre-school sectors include a series of bulletins and news releases covering a wide range of topics. Contributions are also made to many other publications, many with UK and international coverage.
• Arrangements for the publication of local authority and school level data are being reviewed in the light of the new School Improvement Framework.
• Work will continue on widening the range of analyses made available through the internet, in addition to the range of existing collections.

Development of sources

• Development work on the ScotXED system (formerly NMIS, now rebadged to a more informative title (Scottish Exchange of Education Data)) will be taken forward, and major data collections will increasingly move to an electronic basis for most schools over the coming years. In 2002-03 it is hoped to replace parts of the present aggregate school census data collection by the collection of pupil level data. It is planned to collect 5-14 attainment data on an electronic basis at pupil level for the first time in summer 2003. Information on the number of school leavers will also be collected via ScotXED. Similar developments are proceeding in other parts of the UK, and SEED is in close contact with those responsible for those projects to ensure that good practice is shared.
• The School Improvement Framework will have considerable implications for data collections. There is now a major policy focus on the delivery of the 5 National Priorities in Education. These are underpinned by a set of performance measures and indicators, many with associated targets. While many of the measures use data already available, to implement others will involve some additional data collection, and adjustments to existing collections.
• Work will continue on developing aspects of attainment data. In particular, the availability of data on the ethnicity and disability status of candidates will be investigated.
• The pre-school and day care census will be developed to include more information on staff.
• Discussions will take place with Careers Scotland with a view to making improvements to the content of and collection arrangements for data on the destination of school leavers. Moves will be made towards collecting data electronically at individual rather than school level, with the aim for full implementation of the new approach for data collection related to the school year 2002-03. In the longer term, there is an aim to link the information collected on leaver destinations with attainment at school.
• The arrangements for collection of data on teachers will be reviewed, given future plans to move towards collecting such data via ScotXED.
• In the school census, we will seek to establish a globally acceptable definition of Special Units and Special Schools. We will also review the information currently collected on pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
• On 5-14 attainment, we will seek to expand the collection by gathering gender information from all schools in Scotland, rather than from a sample as at present.

Changes to scope of National Statistics

• Given the introduction of the new monitoring arrangements to support the School Improvement Framework, there are likely to be changes to the arrangements for publication of school level information (formerly published by the school inspectorate in the Annual Information Reports for Parents series). The responsibility for publishing such information will generally lie with the Education and Children Statistics Unit, and publication will thus be covered by the National Statistics arrangements.

User/provider consultation

• Consultation will continue to be focussed through the School Education Information Advisory Group (SEIAG) which functions as a SCOTSTAT Committee.
• Consideration is ongoing of extension of SEIAG to cover further and higher education and training statistics.
• Consultation on pre-school and day care work is conducted via the Social Work Statistics Liaison Group (SWSLG).

Quality Improvements

• ScotXED will also enable improvements in the consistency of source data - automated validation at source is likely to be a feature of the new arrangements.
• The guidance associated with the annual Attendance and Absence return will be reviewed. Discussions with local authority contacts will then take place in order to ensure that uniform compliance with the new guidance is achieved across Scotland.
• Further improvements will be made to the timing of statistical news releases, with the intention to publish all data within one year of the reference date wherever possible, and where this has already been achieved, to secure further improvements in timing.
• Validation of school leavers' returns will be improved by checking electronic collection at source and providing earlier feedback to schools on the derived statistics for data collections.
• Improvements will be sought in the consistency across Local Authorities in the collection of information on incidents of violence against teachers.
• The pre-school and day care census will be examined for potential improvements in timing, coverage and data quality.
• The National Statistics Quality Review Programme has been introduced to support continuing improvement in the quality of statistical outputs. Reviews to be scheduled for 2002-3 to 2004-5 on various aspects of education and training statistics will further influence procedures. However the programme of reviews to be conducted at UK level in the year 2002-03 has not yet been decided, and nor has the degree of Scottish Executive participation in these.

Developments in geographic data

• Education data will be prominent in the new information becoming available through the Neighbourhood Statistics initiative. Pupil-level data collected via ScotXED will be an important contributor to this.
• There will be expansion of analyses that are produced by geographical areas, including the provision of an urban/rural split in some pupil attainment results.

Developments in equality data

• Work will continue to improve the quality of data on ethnicity that are available for the school population.
• In the longer term, analysis on pupil attainment will be expanded to include other variables, such as location, and ethnicity, to support the social justice agenda.
• The SEN information collected in the school census in Scotland will be reviewed to reflect the latest terminology and policy needs.
• In the longer term collection of leaver destination statistics at an individual level will allow analysis by gender for the first time. There are also plans to investigate whether user demands for analysis of this information by ethnicity and disability can be met.
• The exclusions survey will be examined to look for a reduction in the 'not known' ethnicity category.
• Ethnicity background data are now required for teachers, following recent legislation. Options will be investigated as how best to collect this.

Further and Higher Education Statistics

In these areas the core data collection is not handled by the Executive. The Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) collect data from further education colleges, covering students on both further and higher education courses. Meanwhile data for higher education institutions are collected on an UK basis by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Statisticians in the Executive draw on data from both these sources in analytical and briefing work on further and higher education. In addition they publish a number of statistical news releases on higher education.

Outputs

• It is proposed to thoroughly review the range of statistical publications on higher education and student funding that are produced by the Executive.

User/provider consultation

• Existing consultation arrangements are operated by SFEFC for further education, and at the UK level for higher education by HESA. As mentioned above the extension of coverage of the SCOTSTAT structure to further and higher education statistics will be considered.

Quality Improvements

• For higher education, the Executive will continue to contribute to reviews of HESA data. In the year ahead this may particularly involve work on the first destinations of students and student populations.

2.8 Health and Care (Minister for Health and Community Care)

A wide range of detailed information is available in Scotland on Health and Care. These data underpin policy decisions, revenue allocations and research; the data also help develop the understanding of the health and social needs of the population and what is done to meet those needs. The two main providers of health data are the Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of the Common Services Agency and the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS). The Scottish Executive Health Department Social Work Statistics Unit collects data on community care. Data are also drawn from surveys, such as Scottish Health Survey and the Scottish Household Survey.

ISD collect, analyse and disseminate data on hospital and community health services. NHS Trusts, Health Boards, General Practitioners and Pharmacists provide the majority of these data. The Economics and Statistics Division of the Scottish Executive also provides analytical support and advice on health. The SE Social Work Statistics Unit collects information from Local Authorities and individual residential care homes. GROS provides information on births and deaths (including cause of death) from civil registration data, together with estimates and projections of the population by Health Board area.

The majority of health statistics publications in Scotland are produced by the ISD. More details of these outputs can be found in ISD's Statistics Plan 2002-03. The ISD plan is complementary to this plan and will be available on the ISD website www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/national-statistics/index.htm

Outputs

Summary of main outputs

A list of proposed new outputs will be available in the ISD Statistical Plan 2002-03.

The SE Health Department Economic and Statistics Division will:

• in partnership with ISD publish the Performance Assessment Framework (PAF) data as part of the annual Accountability Review process and as part of a new NHS Annual Report.
• lead a joint project with ISD on a review and streamline of ISD publications.
• devise a new set of indicators of inequalities for use across the health field.

Development of sources

A number of developments in data collection are proposed for 2002-03, and details will be available in the ISD Statistical Plan. An example of such work is the Data Deficit Project to look at what is/isn't being recorded; how recording has changed in recent years; recommendations for future recording.

User/Provider consultation

In addition to ongoing participation in the SCOTSTAT network, ISD have user groups for a variety of publications. As part of the planned review of ISD publications, it is possible that a separate 'reader' group will also be established to provide a different perspective on the range and content of ISD publications. ISD will also facilitate the establishment of a Health Statistics User Group (Scotland), in co-operation with the Health Statistics User Group.

Quality Improvements

Details of this work will be provided in ISD's Statistical Plan and includes the review of ISD publications mentioned above.

Developments in geographic data

Continue preparation work for the recording of activity in Community Nursing and Professions Allied to Medicine to develop a core dataset representative at Health Board level.

Community Care (Minister for Health and Community Care)

The Scottish Executive is represented on the UK Health and Care Theme Working Group and the key issues for Scotland are incorporated into the UK statistical plan. Social Work Statistics Division collects information on various aspects of Community Care. Data are also drawn from other sources such as ISD Scotland, SEDD Housing Statistics and the Scottish Household Survey in order to provide a full picture of Community Care in Scotland. Developments in community care statistics in Scotland are taking place in line with other cross cutting issues such as the social justice agenda and neighbourhood statistics.

Outputs

Summary of main outputs

• Scottish community care statistics
• Financial provision and direct payments
• Home care services
• Registered blind and partially sighted persons
• Residential care homes
• Vacancy monitoring in residential care homes and nursing homes

User/provider consultation

Consultation with data users and providers is carried forward under the SCOTSTAT framework through the activities of the Social Work Statistics Liaison Group and its various subgroups.

Quality improvements

In 2002, it is planned to:

• Set up small working group to look at improvements to current 'Home Care' data collection.
• Contribute to the Social Work information Review - Data Standards Project.
• Develop the linkages of data sets across the area of community care to provide wider scope for possibilities of analyses.
• Explore ways of combining the Residential Care homes census with ISD's Nursing homes census - for March 2003 census. From April 2002 the distinction between Residential Care Homes and nursing Homes ceases to exist.

Developments in Geographic data

• Investigate availability of small area statistics for Community Care and develop further these statistics.

Developments in equality data

• Ensure that, where appropriate, gender information is available for all data collections. In particular include some gender splits in the 2002 census for Home Care.

2.9 Crime and Justice (Minister for Justice)

The Scottish Executive is represented on the UK Crime and Justice Theme Working Group and the key issues for Scotland are incorporated into the UK statistical plan. In addition, developments in crime and justice statistics in Scotland are taking place in line with other cross-cutting issues such as the social justice agenda and neighbourhood statistics.

Outputs

Summary of main outputs

An extensive range of outputs includes publications, statistical bulletins and statistics releases, with more detailed analyses of, for example, motor vehicle offences, sentencing profiles and re-convictions of offenders.

• Recorded crime statistics
• Prison statistics
• Criminal Justice social work statistics
• Homicide
• Domestic abuse

New Outputs

• Develop a new publication on statistics on bail, to help assess the impact of the revised bail provisions introduced in August 2000.
• Develop a new publication on fire statistics.

User provider consultation

Consultation with data users and providers is carried forward under the SCOTSTAT framework through the activities of the Scottish Criminal Statistics Committee and the Criminal Justice subgroup of the Social Work Statistics Liaison Group.

Quality Improvements

• Explore and develop the statistical opportunities presented by the rollout of the Integration of the Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems (ISCJIS) project across criminal justice agencies.
• Develop analysis of criminal justice social work and improve dissemination of criminal justice social work information.
• Undertake activity to improve the consistency of the police crime recording system, in terms of definitions, counting rules etc.
• Develop the collection of statistics on racist incidents, in response to recommendations from the Lawrence Inquiry.
• Undertake activity to improve the domestic abuse collection.
• Improve quality and efficiency of provision of statistical data derived from prison administrative systems by automation of rigorous checking processes and other measures to improve data quality.
• Continue to develop linkages and communication with data providers, for example local authorities.
• Develop linkages of data sets across the criminal justice area, to increase analysis possibilities.
• Continue to contribute to the Social Work Information Review-Data Standards Project.
• Contribute to a review of civil judicial statistics.
• Develop exploratory analysis of prisoners leaving the prison system and estimation of the numbers of prisoners discharged on completion of sentence.

Developments in geographic data

• Investigate issues to be addressed in the collection of neighbourhood statistics (to enable collection of crime information by post code).

2.10 Natural and Built Environment (Minister for Environment and Rural Development, Minister for Social Justice)

Natural Environment

A key development over the next year will be the consultation with users, mainly through the SCOTSTAT Natural Environment Committee with the aim of reviewing the content and presentation of statistics in Stats/Envonline ( www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/envonline ), and in the Key Environment Statistics booklet. A key driver of the range of published statistical information will be decisions arising from the recent consultation on Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland.

Outputs

Summary of main outputs

The main outputs are a summary booklet, Key Scottish Environment Statistics, and an interactive database Scottish Environment Statistics Online. If possible, Key Scottish Environment Statistics 2002 will include some summary results from the Scottish Environmental Attitudes Survey.

New Outputs

In 2002-2003, there will be a report in the autumn on the Scottish Environmental Attitudes Survey to be conducted in the Spring of 2002. This survey will include some questions similar to those included in the Spring 2001 Environmental Attitudes Survey conducted in England and Wales and the 1991 survey conducted in Scotland.

User/provider consultation

The SCOTSTAT Natural Environment Statistics Advisory Committee met for the first time in October 2001. It includes representatives of a range of different types of user/provider including SEPA (Scottish environment protection agency), SNH (Scottish natural heritage), academics, council and non-government organisations. The Committee covers statistics on the natural environment including pollution emissions. The Committee will meet again in Spring 2002 and will provide advice on priorities for the development of statistics on the natural environment, which will feed into current and future plans.

The contents of Key Scottish Environment Statistics will be considered to help ensure that the most relevant statistical series are included.

Quality improvements

The data collected and published by the SE Environment Statistics Branch have generally been published previously by other organisations. In order to reduce data transcription errors, data suppliers are sent a copy of the Excel Workbook used to drive the Online database, and asked to update the worksheet containing the data and mark any necessary changes on those worksheets dealing with metadata, commentary and links. The same Excel Workbook is available for downloading.

The Scottish Executive will play a full part in the reviews of environmental statistics being lead by DEFRA. The Scottish Environmental Attitudes Survey will be fully documented and a copy deposited at the Data Archive.

Developments in geographic data

The Neighbourhood Statistics project is currently considering a proposal by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) to develop a pilot project under the Neighbourhood Statistics development. The aim of the project is to gather and make available through a suitably designed GIS a range of geographically referenced information about the characteristics of the local environment and key health data.

Developments in equality data

Where appropriate differences in attitudes to the environment between young and old, men and women and different ethnic groups will be explored.

Built Environment

The work for the next year in this theme will be strongly influenced through the Household Analysis Review Group - which will examine the key requirements for household estimates and projections - and the SCOTSTAT Built Environment Group - planning to complete an assessment of the available statistics on the built environment identifying key strengths, weaknesses and gaps.

There are also clear information needs arising from the implementation of the Housing Bill, including the need to monitor the impact of changes to right to buy; from the work of the Housing Quality Task Force the need to review the information which we gather on housing quality, and, arising from the work of the Homelessness Task Force to develop the publication of and provide clear guidance on the interpretation of information from the new homelessness electronic data capture system.

It will also be necessary, following the recent changes in their responsibilities, to review with Communities Scotland the data which is collected from councils and registered social landlords; and how it is made available and accessible to potential users.

Outputs

Summary of main outputs

• Annual - Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey.
• Quarterly Housing Trends in June, September, December and March.
• Annual household estimates.
• Annual Stock estimates.
• Biennial household projections.
• Analyses of applications under the homelessness legislation.

New outputs

• The frequency and format of analyses of homelessness applications is being reviewed to make best use of the new data which will become available from the new homelessness electronic data capture system introduced from December 2001.
• 2000-based household projections will be published in summer 2002.
• Under the neighbourhood statistics initiative neighbourhood level data sets should become available during 2002-03 on:-

Development of sources

An additional question is to be included in the 2002 vacant and derelict land survey dealing with whether land brought back into use involved public funding.

• A key priority is ensuring successful implementation of the new homelessness electronic data capture system.
• Exploration of possible electronic data capture of new house building information at neighbourhood level.

User/provider consultation

The Built environment statistics advisory Committee met for the first time in November 2001. It includes representatives of a range of different types of user/provider including Communities Scotland, academics, councils, housing associations and house builders. The Committee covers statistics mainly on housing and planning. The Committee will meet again in Spring 2002 and will provide advice on priorities for the development of statistics on the built environment which will fed into current and future plans.

Significant planned developments for 2002/03 which will be overseen by the Committee include; a joint review with Communities Scotland into the implications of large scale voluntary stock transfer on data collections; the feasibility of collecting electronically newbuild data; a review of information collected about Below Tolerable Standards dwellings; and a review of information collected about improvements to local authority dwellings.

Quality improvements

• Within the vacant and derelict land survey, greater attention will be given to the extent of agricultural land brought back into use to ensure that it has been correctly classified.
• Encourage all local authorities to assign newbuild sites as brownfield and greenfield, and investigate the feasibility of obtaining equivalent information for housing association new build.
• For the 2000 based projections, in consultation with members of the Household Analysis Review Group, consider how to best refine the final stages of the household projections methodology.
• With the Household Analysis Review Group complete the assessments of Councils and Scottish Executive needs from household estimates and projections, identify priorities for a development program and implement this.

Developments in geographic data

Through the Housing Related Neighbourhood Statistics Working Group, it is planned to pilot the development of

• Neighbourhood level household estimates using information from councils' council tax billing systems.
• A database of neighbourhood level information on lettings by registered social landlords.
• With councils, examine the feasibility of mapping grid-references to postcodes so that newbuild data will be available at neighbourhood level.
• With councils, extend the data obtained on Houses in Multiple Occupation to include the post-code of the address of each HMO registered.

Developments in equality data

• In 2002-03, through the new homelessness electronic data capture system, information will be available for the first time on the ethnic group of homelessness applicants

2.11 Transport and Travel (Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning)

The reviews of the Road Accident statistics, the Road Traffic Estimates and the Scottish Household Survey will continue to address questions such as

• whether the data currently collected are still required
• what new information is needed
• whether different methods might be used
• how quality might be improved
• if costs can be reduced

Performance measurement information is provided by the progress indicators, published with the Executive's Transport Delivery Report, and by the annual reporting of road accident casualty numbers relative to the targets for reductions by the year 2010. Information about people's perceptions of the "quality change" of public transport will be obtained from new questions in the Scottish Household Survey. Additional "geographic comparisons" may be provided by further analyses of Transport-related results from the Scottish Household Survey.

A key driver of the development of transport related statistical sources and analyses is the requirement to monitor and report on progress towards the Scottish Executive's aim of "delivering an efficient, safe transport system which meets the needs of all in society".

• In particular there is a need to provide reliable, consistent information to report on progress in relation to aspects of transport and travel - for example on changes in the numbers of trips made by various modes of transport.
• These needs will be addressed through further development of the Scottish Household Survey and possibly through the outcomes of research into the Road Traffic Estimates methodology and sources.
• GB-wide surveys conducted by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) continue to provide statistical information on key aspects of transport in Scotland. The contribution made by DTLR to the Scottish statistics, and its continuing helpful liaison with the devolved administrations, are both acknowledged gratefully.

Outputs

Summary of main outputs

• Scottish Transport Statistics
• Bus and Coach Statistics
• Household Transport: some Scottish Household Survey results
• Transport across Scotland - some SHS results for parts of Scotland (biennial)
• SHS Travel Diary results
• Travel by Scottish residents - some National Travel Survey results (triennial)
• Road Accidents Scotland
• Transport progress indicators - the indicators published alongside the Transport Delivery Report will be updated annually (in a non-National Statistics publication).

New outputs

No completely new outputs are planned for 2002-03. However:

• Road Accidents Scotland will be revised greatly, to include, in many of the tables, figures for the "baseline" year for the targets for casualty reductions by the year 2010. Other improvements may be made, in the light of the responses to a survey of readers of the publication.
• Scottish Transport Statistics will be improved, for example by adding new tables and charts.
• Further Transport-related results from the Scottish Household Survey will be published during the year, in new editions of the relevant statistical bulletins and in quarterly articles in the Scottish Transport Review.

Development of sources

Road Accident Statistics

• Participate in the GB-wide Quality Review, the timetable for which may be revised as the review progresses
• Consult the Liaison Group on Road Accident Statistics on the emerging proposals whenever is most appropriate, depending upon the review's timetable.
• Distribute the final specification of the changes when they become available.
• LGRAS meeting, and (where required) visits to data suppliers, to explain the changes, clarify points on their implementation, etc depending upon the review's timetable: may not be until 2003-04.

Scottish Household Survey

• develop the Transport-related questions to be include in 2003 and subsequent years
• during 2003-04, consider detailed follow-up surveys on specific transport topics.

User/provider consultation

The Transport & Travel Statistics Advisory Committee met for the first time in October 2001. It includes representatives of a range of different types of users, including academics, consultants and councils, and providers, such as trade representative bodies. Member were invited to comment on the proposals in the draft GB Transport, Travel & Tourism Theme Workplan for 2002-03, and to give their views on the priorities for the development of statistics of Transport and Travel in Scotland. It is expected to meet again in Spring 2002, to provide input to the preparation of the GB Theme Workplan and the SE Statistical Plan for 2003-04 onwards. It may meet annually thereafter.

The Liaison Group on Road Accident Statistics was established in 1989. It includes representatives of data suppliers (Police Forces) and users (such as council, road safety, consultant and academic interests), and meets (on average) once a year to advise the Executive on matters to do with the collection, processing, interpretation and publication of road accident statistics. In October 2001, LGRAS discussed possible changes to the GB-wide road accident statistics data specification; its next meeting will consider the proposals that will by then be emerging from the Quality Review.

Quality improvements

• Road Traffic Estimates - With DTLR and others, consider how the estimates of road traffic volumes for Scotland, and for areas within Scotland, might be improved, in the light of the results of a research study by external consultants.

2.12 Personnel Statistics (Minister for Finance and Public Services)

Personnel statistics are not formally part of National Statistics as they are primarily used by the Scottish Executive for internal management.

Outputs

Development of an improved workforce planning model which better informs the recruitment and progression processes to serve the business needs of the Scottish Executive.

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