SINePost newsletter - March 2015

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In this issue ...

1. Household Projections
2. House price statistics for small areas
3. Rough Sleeping
4. Latest Economic Factsheets
5. Civil Partnerships
6. Older Gay and Bisexual Men report
7. Teenage Pregnancy
8. Breast Screening
9. Electoral Statistics
10. What’s New on the Somerset Intelligence website?
11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

1.  Household Projections

The number of households in Somerset is projected to increase by around 11,000 to 247,000 over the next five years according to latest projections from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). From its current (2015) figure of 236,000, the number of households is projected to pass 250,000 by the year 2022; to pass 260,000 by 2027; and to exceed 270,000 by 2032.

Long-term household growth in Somerset is anticipated to be slightly below national and South West regional rates, with higher rates generally in the larger urban areas. Within Somerset, Sedgemoor and Taunton Deane districts are projected to see the highest rates of growth, and West Somerset the lowest.

For the full dataset, see: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-household-projections

2.  House price statistics for small areas

Median house prices in the most expensive areas of Somerset are consistently around three times higher than in the least expensive areas, according to small area statistics produced by the ONS. The statistics report property sales and median price paid each year from 1995 to 2013, at MSOA level (the smallest geographical area suitable for producing robust statistics, each typically consisting of around 3,000 households). See: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/regional-analysis/house-price-statistics-for-small-areas/1995-2013/index.html

In 2013, the highest median house price in Somerset was at Wedmore (£335,000) and the lowest in the Sydenham area of Bridgwater (£115,000). The same two areas saw the highest and lowest prices respectively back in 1995, with the 3:1 price ratio broadly maintained.

3.  Rough Sleeping

The number of people sleeping rough in Somerset has increased according to latest annual figures published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG): www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2014

Local authorities in Somerset estimated the number of rough sleepers in 2014 to be 50 (as of autumn that year). This compares to 28 in 2013 and 40 in 2012. The highest numbers of rough sleepers were in Mendip and Taunton Deane.

Nationally, the number of rough sleepers increased by 14% between 2013 and 2014.

For more information about homelessness in Somerset, see: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/homelessness.html

4.  Latest Economic Factsheets

Updated factsheets including latest data and analysis on employment, unemployment and employee earnings in Somerset are now available. See:

• Employment and Economic Activity www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/employment-and-economic-activity-january-2015/
• Unemployment and Economic Inactivity www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity-january-2015/
• Occupation and Earnings www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/occupation-and-earning-january-2015/

Headlines include:

• ‘Total employment’ (jobs) in Somerset increased by 2.8% between 2012 and 2013, compared to an increase of 1.4% nationally.
• The motor trade sector had the largest annual increase in employment between 2012 and 2013.  Employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing saw the largest fall.
• Somerset’s unemployment rate fell to 4.8% in the year to September 2014. At a district level, Sedgemoor continues to have the highest unemployment rate of all Somerset districts (7.2%).

5.  Civil Partnerships

The number of civil partnerships formed in Somerset increased for the third successive year in 2013 according to annual figures from the ONS. The latest (marginal) increase bucked a national downward trend. See: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob2/civil-partnership-statistics--united-kingdom/2013/index.html

A total of 54 civil partnerships were formed in Somerset in 2013, comprising 35 female partnerships and 19 male partnerships. The county is broadly in line with the national average in terms of rates of civil partnership per head of population. Rates tend to be higher in larger urban areas (such as Bristol and Bournemouth in the South West). Male partnership formation also tends to be more prominent in large cities.

A total of 407 civil partnerships have been formed in Somerset since 2006.

For further information relating to Somerset’s LGBT community, see: http://www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/lgbt/

6.  Older Gay and Bisexual Men report

The Diversity Trust has published a report on the experiences of older gay and bisexual men living in rural communities in Somerset. The report includes case studies, and biographies of older gay and bisexual men, and makes a number of recommendations. Findings included:

• Gay and bisexual men often travel out of the county, for social and support opportunities, as there is no specialist or targeted support available in the county.
• People found the closure of gay social meeting spaces, especially in Taunton over recent years, as being a loss to the gay community.
• Gay and bisexual men reported experiencing homophobia and hate crime whilst in a range of different settings. These attacks were often unreported.

The full report is available at: www.diversitytrust.org.uk/system/assets/108/original/SomersetGayandBiMen2.pdf

7.  Teenage Pregnancy

The number of Under 18 conceptions in Somerset declined for the sixth year running in 2013 according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). There were 218 conceptions to women aged under 18 in Somerset in 2013, compared to 244 conceptions in 2012, and down from 385 conceptions in 2007.

Somerset’s current Under 18 conception rate of 22.1 conceptions per 1,000 women remains broadly in line with the South West regional average (21.2 per 1,000 women) and below the national average (24.3 per 1,000 women).

For the full national dataset, see: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/conception-statistics--england-and-wales/2013/index.html

8.  Breast Screening

The number of women screened through the NHS Breast Screening Programme continues to decline in Somerset according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). Coverage of eligible women aged 53-70 was 79.4% at 31 March 2014, compared with 80.1% a year earlier, and 82.1% in 2010.

Nationally, screening rates have declined from a peak of 77.2% in 2011 to 75.9% in 2014. The NHS Cancer Screening Programme specifies a minimum standard of 70% coverage.

For further details, see: www.hscic.gov.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=17263&q=title%3a+Breast+Screening+Programme&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1#top

9.  Electoral Statistics

The number of local government electors in Somerset fell for the second year running in 2014 according for figures from the ONS. As at 1^st December 2014, there were 410,348 local government electors registered in Somerset, compared to 411,619 in 2013 and 422,203 in 2012. Between 2013 and 2014 the number of local government electors increased in Mendip and Taunton Deane and fell in Somerset’s other districts. Taunton Deane saw notable falls between 2012 and 2013.

The number of parliamentary electors (within Somerset’s five constituencies) was 402,791 on 1^st December 2014, down from 403,974 the previous year (down 0.3%)

Nationally, the number of local government and parliamentary electors declined by 2.0% between 2013 and 2014.

See: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/electoral-statistics-for-england--wales-and-northern-ireland/2014/index.html

10.  What’s New on the Somerset Intelligence website?

Resources relating to Children and Young People have been refreshed and updated in the last month, including the following pages:

• Bullying and racial incidents www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/feeling-safe-cyp.html
• Healthy diet and physical activity www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/diet-activity.html
• Domestic violence www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/domestic-violence-cyp.html
• Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/cse.html
• Road casualties www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/road-casualties-cyp.html

11.  Forthcoming Statistical Releases

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

• Ageing in the UK datasets: 1992-2037 (ONS)
• Statistics for parliamentary constituencies in GB (ONS)
• Dwelling Stock Estimates, 2014 (DCLG)
• 2011 Census: origin-destination statistics on migration and students for local authorities in the United Kingdom (ONS)
• 2011 Census analysis: what does the 2011 Census tell us about work-related second addresses in England and Wales? (ONS)
• National survey of bereaved people (VOICES): by NHS Area Team, 2012-13 (ONS)

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