SINePost newsletter - January 2020

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In this issue:

1. Health State Life Expectancies
2. Parents’ Country of Birth data
3. Birth characteristics
4. Child Poverty statistics announcement
5. Local Alcohol Profiles for England update
6. Small Area Domestic Electricity and Gas usage estimates 
7. Households not on the Gas Network
8. Journey Times to Key Local Services
9. Estimates of Station Usage
10. Blue Badge scheme statistics
11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

1. Health State Life Expectancies

Life expectancies for both males and females in Somerset remain around a year higher than UK averages in latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics.

In the period 2016 to 2018, males in Somerset had a life expectancy of 80.4 years at birth while females had a life expectancy of 84.1 years. Since 2009-11, male life expectancy at birth has increased by 0.5 years, and female life expectancy has increased by 0.4 years.

Females can expect to live a greater number of years in poor health than males. In Somerset in 2016-18, healthy life expectancy (‘HLE’) at birth was 64.2 years for males and 65.9 years for females. So, males could expect to live 80% of their lives is good health, and females 78%.

For the full dataset, see: www.ons.gov.uk/releases/healthstatelifeexpectanciesuk2016to2018

2.  Parents’ Country of Birth data

The number of births in Somerset to non-UK born mothers increased to 763 in 2018, following two successive years of decline, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Numbers peaked recently at 780 births in 2015.

One in seven births in Somerset are currently to mothers born outside the UK. Across England and Wales this proportion is one in four.

Of the 763 Somerset babies born to non-UK mothers during 2018, a total of 496 were to mothers born in Europe (of which 381 were ‘new EU’ countries); 110 were to mothers from the Middle East and Asia; 61 from Africa; and 65 from the rest of the world.

At a district level, Sedgemoor has the highest proportion of births to non-UK born mothers (at 16.8% in 2018). Mendip has the lowest proportion (at 12.1%).

See: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths

3. Birth characteristics

The proportion of births outside marriage or civil partnership in Somerset continues to increase and remains above the national average in latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. In 2018, 53.7% of live births in Somerset were outside marriage or civil partnership compared to 47.8% for England as a whole.

At a district level, proportions of births outside marriage or civil partnership ranged from 52.2% in Mendip to 58.1% in Sedgemoor.

Somerset West and Taunton had the highest overall birth rate in Somerset in 2018 (at 9.6 per 1,000 local population). The lowest birth rate was in Sedgemoor (8.8 per 1,000 population).

See: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages

4. Child Poverty statistics announcement

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have announced the replacement of existing published measures of child poverty with a new combined set of statistics, with the aim of providing a more coherent picture of living standards for children by local area.

This means that HMRC’s ‘Children in low-income families local measure’ and DWP’s ‘Children in out of work benefit households’ statistics will no longer be produced. The first new statistics, which will be led by DWP, are due in Spring 2020.

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/personal-tax-credits-children-in-low-income-families-local-measure

5. Local Alcohol Profiles for England update

Public Health England has updated its Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE) interactive tool, presenting new data on alcohol-specific mortality; alcohol-related mortality; years of life lost; and mortality from chronic liver disease:

http://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-alcohol-profiles

Somerset is identified as similar to national average benchmarks in respect of all mortality indicators, with the exception of mortality from chronic liver disease where Somerset is better than the national average (10.2 per 100,000 population compared to 12.1 per 100,000 nationally in the period 2016-18).

In the period 2016-18, the overall rate of alcohol-specific mortality in Somerset was 10.0 per 100,000 population. Rates in the South West region ranged from 7.7 per 100,000 (South Gloucestershire) to 17.0 per 100,000 (Torbay).

6. Small Area Domestic Electricity and Gas usage estimates 

Latest estimates from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy demonstrate wide variations in household energy consumption. The estimates are available for every LSOA (Lower-layer Super Output Area) and are aimed at supporting energy efficiency and carbon reduction schemes.

Areas with the highest average electricity usage are predominantly rural. In 2018, overall mean domestic electricity consumption was 53% higher in Somerset’s rural villages and hamlets than in urban areas (5,275kWh per electricity meter compared to 3,431kWh per meter).

Similarly, mean domestic gas consumption was around 41% higher in rural villages and hamlets than in urban areas of Somerset (15,142kWh per meter compared to 10,722kWh per meter).

For the full dataset, see: www.gov.uk/government/collections/sub-national-electricity-consumption-data#lsoa/msoa-data

7. Households not on the Gas Network

An estimated 30% of Somerset households are not connected to the gas network, according to latest annual (2018) estimates from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Nationally, 14% of households are not on the gas network.

At a district level, the proportion households with no access to mains gas ranges from 24% in Mendip district to 35% in South Somerset. For Somerset as a whole, an estimated 76,400 households are not on the gas network, and are therefore reliant on alternative (generally, more expensive) sources of fuel.

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-national-estimates-of-households-not-connected-to-the-gas-network

8. Journey Times to Key Local Services

Average minimum journey times for Somerset residents to a range of key local services are 25.0 minutes by public transport/walking, 21.3 minutes by cycle and 12.4 minutes by car, according to updated ‘accessibility’ estimates from the Department for Transport (for 2017). Nationally, average journey times are consistently lower, at 17.8, 15.2 and 10.8 minutes respectively.

Key services are identified as: employment centres, primary schools, secondary schools, FE colleges, GPs, hospitals, food stores and town centres.

Since comparable figures were first produced in 2014, average journey times to the eight key services have increased in respect of each mode of transport, both in Somerset and nationally.

Full data tables, including county, district and small area LSOA (Lower-layer Super Output Area) level data are available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/journey-time-statistics-2017

9. Estimates of Station Usage

Passenger numbers increased at five of Somerset’s ten railway stations in 2018/19, and declined in five, in latest annual estimates published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Overall, there were 3,191,526 passenger entrances and exits at Somerset stations during 2018/19, representing an increase of 1.7% on the 2017/18 figure.

Bridgwater and Frome stations saw the largest percentage increases in passenger numbers (up 5.6% and 5.5% respectively). Largest falls were seen at Castle Cary (down 11.7%) and Yeovil Junction (down 6.0%).

Taunton station continues to account for nearly half of station usage in Somerset, with 1.53 million entries and exits, making it the 13^th busiest station in the South West. Bristol Temple Meads (11.4 million), Bath Spa (6.5 million) and Swindon (3.8 million) have the highest usage in the region.

Overall, railway station usage in Somerset has more than doubled since 2001/02, mirroring a national upward trend.

See: http://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-estimates

10. Blue Badge scheme statistics

The number of individuals holding a Blue Badge disabled parking permit in Somerset decreased by 5% to approximately 28,000 in the year to March 2019, according to figures issued by the Department for Transport. Numbers have been in general decline since reforms to the Blue Badge application process in 2011/12.

Blue Badge holders in Somerset represent 5.0% of the county’s population, well above the national average proportion of 4.1%.

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/blue-badge-scheme-statistics-data-tables-dis

11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

The following are due for release at sub-regional geographies during January: 

• Crime in England and Wales: year ending September 2019 (ONS)
• Local authority housing statistics data returns for 2018 to 2019 (MHCLG)
• Destinations of KS4 and 16 to 18 (KS5) students: 2018 (DfE)
• Road lengths in Great Britain: 2019 (DfT)
• Fire statistics incident level datasets (Home Office)
• Children looked after in England including adoption: 2018 to 2019 (DfE)
• Segment Tool (Health Inequalities): 2020 data update (NHS)

And finally ...