SINePost newsletter - October 2019

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In this issue:

1. English Indices of Deprivation 2019
2. Council Tax Stock of Properties count
3. House Price statistics
4. Statutory Homelessness statistics
5. Business and Employment Survey (BRES) results
6. Migrant National Insurance Number (NINo) registrations
7. Stop Smoking Service statistics
8. Suicide statistics
9. Road Accidents statistics
10. Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle statistics
11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

1. English Indices of Deprivation 2019

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published updated English Indices of Deprivation, the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas (Lower-layer Super Output Areas, LSOAs) in England. This represents the first update to the indices since 2015.

The 2019 version uses 39 indicators, organised across seven ‘domains’ of deprivation, which are combined to form the overall Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Headline findings from IMD 2019 include:

• Of the 327 LSOAs in Somerset, 29 are within the most deprived 20% in England, up from 25 LSOAs at the time of IMD 2015. Sedgemoor has the highest number of LSOAs in this category (13), followed by Somerset West and Taunton (8), South Somerset (6) and Mendip (2). These neighbourhoods have a combined population of approximately 46,000.
• Nine Somerset neighbourhoods (LSOAs) are now amongst the 10% most deprived in England, the same number as in IMD 2015. These are in parts of Bridgwater, Glastonbury, Highbridge, Taunton and Yeovil. The combined population of these areas is about 13,600.
• Four Somerset neighbourhoods are now amongst the most deprived 5% nationally (up from two LSOAs in IMD 2015). These are Highbridge South West, Bridgwater Sydenham Central, Taunton Lambrook and Taunton Roman Road. These neighbourhoods have a combined population of about 6,300.

 We will publish more detailed local analysis on the Somerset Intelligence website over the coming weeks. The full national dataset is available at:

 www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019

2. Council Tax Stock of Properties count

At the end of March 2019, there were a total of 258,150 domestic properties in Somerset, according to the Valuation Office Agency’s (VOA) administrative database. This represented an increase of 1,130 properties at the same point a year earlier.

Sedgemoor continues to have the highest proportion of properties in the lowest Council Tax Band (A), accounting for 24% of all properties in the district (compared to 14%-16% in all other districts).

Meanwhile, the former West Somerset district area continues to have the highest proportion of properties in the higher Council Tax Bands (F, G and H), accounting for 11% of all properties.

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/council-tax-stock-of-properties-2019

Note that this count is not the same and as a statistical count of ‘households’, as some properties may be empty, or second homes, for example.

3. House Price statistics

Mendip continues to have the highest median house price in Somerset, according to latest ‘small area’ figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The median price paid for a dwelling in Mendip in 2018/19 was £264,000. West Somerset had the next highest median price (£245,000), followed by Taunton Deane (£225,000), South Somerset (£219,000) and Sedgemoor (£215,000). Six of the top ten wards in Somerset in terms of median house price were in Mendip.

Compared to the same period five years ago, median house prices in Somerset have increased by between 23% (South Somerset and Taunton Deane) and 42% (Mendip).

West Monkton ward (Taunton Deane) and Yeovil Without (South Somerset) continue to see the highest numbers of residential property sales (246 and 230 respectively in 2018/19), while Brendon Hills (West Somerset) continues to see the fewest sales (with a total of 10 during 2018/19).

See: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/housepricestatisticsforsmallareas

4. Statutory Homelessness statistics

Latest statutory homelessness statistics have been published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG):

www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics

Findings include:

• Between January to March 2019, 702 households in Somerset were initially assessed by local authorities as threatened with homelessness or homeless. This compared to 528 households in the previous quarter.
• 450 households were initially assessed as threatened with homelessness, up from 300 in the previous quarter. 252 households were initially assessed as homeless, up from 228 in October to December.
• On 31st March 2019 the number of Somerset households in temporary accommodation was 120, the same number as on 31st December 2018.

Following implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and changes to the reporting of statutory homelessness, these statistics are currently classified as experimental, as opposed to official statistics.

5. Business and Employment Survey (BRES) results

The total number of employees in Somerset increased to 228,200 in 2018, according to provisional estimates from the annual Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES).

Figures were broken down as follows:

• 54% of Somerset employees work full-time in the private sector;
• 30% work part-time in the private sector;
• 9% of employees work full-time in the public sector; and
• 7% work part-time in the public sector.

Overall, Somerset continues to see a higher proportion of part-time employees than the UK average (37% of all employees compared to 32%).

See: www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork

6. Migrant National Insurance Number (NINo) registrations

The number of overseas nationals registering for a National Insurance Number (NINo) in Somerset has increased for the second successive quarter, following a period of general decline, according to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

There were a total of 887 registrations between April and June 2019, compared to 744 between January and March 2019, and 653 registrations between October and December 2018.

Romanian nationals continue to be the most common registrants, accounting for one-third (33%) of all registrations in the last 12 months. This is followed by Polish nationals (15%) and Portuguese nationals (7%).

The full dataset is available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

7. Stop Smoking Service statistics

A total of 1,011 people in Somerset successfully quit smoking in 2018/19 through Somerset’s Stop Smoking Service, according to statistics released by NHS Digital. This was from a total of 2,061 clients who set a ‘quit date’, giving a quit success rate of 49%. Successful quitters are those who, when assessed 4 weeks after their designated quit date, declare they have not smoked in the past two weeks.

In Somerset, the quitting success rate was highest amongst people in management and professional occupations (with 59% successfully quitting), followed by those in ‘intermediate’ occupations. The people least likely to successfully quit were full-time students (39%) and those who have never worked or who have been unemployed for over a year (with a 32% success rate).

Of the 408 pregnant women in Somerset who set a quit date in 2018/19, a total of 177 (43%) successfully quit smoking.

For the full dataset, see: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-nhs-stop-smoking-services-in-england/april-2018-to-march-2019

8. Suicide statistics

The Office for National Statistics has published latest annual statistics on registered deaths from suicide:

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths

Findings include:

• In 2018, there were 65 suicides registered in Somerset. This compared to 48 suicides in 2017 and 55 suicides in 2016.
• Between 2016 and 2018 the age-standardised suicide rate in Somerset was 11.8 per 100,000 population. At a district level, the highest rate was in Sedgemoor (13.7 per 100,000) and the lowest in South Somerset (10.5 per 100,000). Nationally, the rate was 9.6 per 100,000.
• Nationally, three-quarters of registered suicide deaths in 2018 were among men, which has been the case since the mid-1990s.

9. Road Accidents statistics

Numbers of road accidents in Somerset continue to decline according to annual figures from the Department for Transport:

www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/ras10-reported-road-accidents

There were a total of 973 reported road accidents in the county during 2018. This compared to 1,000 accidents in 2017 and 1,053 accidents in 2016.

Of the 973 accidents in 2018, a total of 23 were fatal, 131 ‘serious’ and 819 ‘slight’. In terms of road class, 4% were on the motorway, 48% on A-roads, and 48% on minor roads. In terms of road surface condition, 69% of accidents were on dry roads, 29% were on wet or flooded roads, and 2% on snow or ice.

10. Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle statistics

Overall numbers of licensed taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) in Somerset have declined in latest annual statistics from the Department for Transport:

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-statistics-england-2019

As at 31 March 2019, there were 607 taxis and 352 private hire vehicles in Somerset. Compared to the same point a year earlier, numbers of taxis declined by 7%, while numbers of private hire vehicles declined by 3%.

Compared to four years ago, numbers of taxis have declined by 22%, while numbers of PHVs have increased by 15%.

Approximately 43% of taxis and 7% of private hire vehicles in Somerset are wheelchair accessible. Nationally, 58% of all taxis and 2% of PHVs are wheelchair accessible.

11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

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

• Small area population estimates in England and Wales: mid­2018 (ONS)
• Personal well-being in the UK: April 2018 to March 2019 (ONS)
• UK business; activity, size and location: 2019 (ONS)
• National Child Measurement Programme, England 2018/19 School Year (NHS Digital)
• Local Authority Health Profiles 2019 (PHE)
• Deaths of homeless people in England and Wales: 2018 (ONS)
• England fly-tipping statistics for 2018/19 (DEFRA)
• Destinations: key stage 4 and 5 pupils: 2018 (DfE)
• Census 2011: Working Age UK Armed Forces Veterans Residing in England and Wales: 2019 (MoD)

And finally ...