Scottish Economic Statistics 2008

Definitions, Methodologies and Sources

Industrial Groupings

At the end of 2002, the UK moved from the 1992 Standard Industrial Classification ( SIC92) to SIC2003. Data that apply to 2002 and before are coded to SIC92, while later data use SIC2003. The quarterly GDP index is all on a SIC2003 basis. The coding changes (72 new codes to provide additional detail, 1 deletion and 74 changes) mainly affect the fourth and fifth digit of the coding system.

The first two digits of the classification (2 digit SIC), which are used in much of this report, are not affected by the change, with two exceptions: the tiny sector of coin-operated photocopying machines and the new code 7415 for head office activities. The effect on the overall business register statistics of these changes is detailed in the methodological notes below (under corporate sector).

The table below summarises the groupings used in this publication, by SIC code and Scottish input-output category. Where other groupings have been used, these are shown in individual tables. Details of the SIC92, SIC2003 and progress on the major re-coding exercise SIC2007 can be found at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/methods_quality/sic/contents.asp .

Table A: Standard Industrial Classifications used in Scottish Economic Statistics

	SIC	SIC section	Scottish Input-Output Categories 1
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 3	01, 02, 05	A, B	1, 2, 3
Production	10-41
Mining and Quarrying (incl oil & gas extraction)	10-14	C
Mining of coal and lignite; extraction of peat	10		4
Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas etc.	11		5
Mining & Quarrying except energy producing materials	13, 14		6, 7
Manufacturing	15-37	D	8-84
Food, Drink and Tobacco	15, 16		8-20
Textiles, Footwear, Leather & Clothing	17-19		21-30
Petroleum Products, Nuclear Fuel, Chemicals and Mineral Products	23, 24, 26		35-46, 49-53
Metals, Metal Goods, Mechanical Engineering & Transport Equipment	27-29, 34, 35		54-68, 77-80
Electrical and Instrument Engineering	30-33		69-76
Other Manufacturing	20-22, 25, 36, 37		31-34, 47, 48, 81-84
Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	40-41	E	85-87
Construction	45	F	88
Services	50-99
Wholesale, Retail and Repairs		G
Motor Vehicle Retail & Wholesale	50		89
Wholesale	51		90
Retail	52		91
Hotels & Catering	55	H	92
Transport, Storage and Communication	60-64	I	93-99
Financial Intermediation 2	65-67	J	100-102
Real estate, Renting & Business activities	70-74	K	103-114
Public Administration & Defence 2	75	L	115
Education & Health	80, 85		116-118
Education	80	M	116
Health & Social Work 3	85	N	117, 118
Social & Personal Service Activities	90-93	O	119-122
Tourism-related sector
Hotels	55.1
Camping sites and other provision of short-stay accommodation	55.2
Restaurants	55.3
Bars	55.4
Activities of travel agencies & tour operators; tourist assistance activities nec	63.3
Library, archives, museums and other cultural activities	92.5
Sporting activities	92.6
Other recreational activities	92.7

1. Input-Output tables for 2002 are summarised in Tables 1.4 and 1.5. Full tables can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/14713/484
2. Not included in Scottish Annual Business Statistics
3. Scottish Annual Business Statistics excludes SIC 1.1-1.3, 85.111, 85.12, 85.13, 85.311, 85.321

Scottish Quarterly GDP (Chapter 1)

Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) is a measure of the value of goods and services produced by residents, before allowing for depreciation or capital consumption. Net receipts from interest, profits and dividends abroad are excluded. There are two measures of GDP, market prices and basic prices. The Scottish quarterly index is measured in basic prices, which excludes taxes less subsidies on products (taxes on products include VAT and excise duties). Gross Value Added ( GVA) is another term for GDP at basic prices.

GDP at market prices is the headline measure used by the UK but they also produce estimates of GVA for their industry breakdown as it is difficult to break down taxes and subsidies below whole economy level. GDP at market prices is not produced for Scotland due to the same difficulty of allocating taxes and subsidies below national level. Experimental figures are available in Article 1.

Information is compiled for over 260 industries in Scotland. For each industry an index is created representing the volume of Gross Value Added ( GVA) created by that industry over time. It can be difficult to get value added figures on a quarterly basis so proxy indicators are used where value added data are not available. Examples of proxies used include: deflated turnover, deflated production, the volume of a good or service sold or produced and, for some parts of the public sector, employee numbers. These data come from a range of sources including monthly and quarterly turnover inquiries carried out by the Office for National Statistics; published data sources ( e.g. on employment levels or activity levels in certain industries); and data received directly from companies and other organisations.

In February 2004 on publication of results for 2003 Q3, the Scottish GDP estimates moved to annually weighted and chained estimates of volume measures - referred to as "annual chainlinking" - as recommended in the System of National Accounts 1993. This is consistent with the UK where this approach was introduced on 30 September 2003 in respect of the 2003 Q2 results.

The main difference between chainlinking and the previous "fixed base" methodology is that the weights applied to each industry (reflecting importance in the Scottish economy) are updated on an annual basis, instead of a 5-yearly basis. The major effect of chainlinking has been to more accurately reflect the changing importance of sectors. The impact of chainlinking the Scottish GDP series to 2000 weights was to reduce the negative effect of the low/declining growth in some sectors, while simultaneously increasing the importance of those which had been performing well. Both of these changes had a positive effect on the overall level of growth estimated by the Scottish GDP series. However, updating weights does not necessarily result in a positive impact on GDP. For example, if prices in an industry fall over time, despite high growth in the volume of output (as measured by the GDP index), the industry's relative value can decrease. This would result in a fall in the weight, and a reduction in the impact of high growth in that industry. Further information on this and other methodological issues are available on the Scottish Government internet site http://www.scotland.gov.uk/gdp .

Scottish GDP estimates will generally be less reliable than the estimates for the UK, primarily because the equivalent UK figures are produced by balancing 3 independent sets of estimates (Output ( GVA), Income & Expenditure-based approaches). Furthermore, the survey data tend to be based on smaller numbers of units, making figures for Scotland more likely to be subject to small random fluctuations.

Scottish Input-Output Tables (Chapter 1)

A wide variety of data sources are used in the construction of the Scottish Input-Output tables. Wherever possible, Scottish data from ONS inquiries have been used, in addition to data from Scottish Government surveys or other official sources. The tables are constructed in accordance with national guidance, as given in the European System of Accounts 1995. The industrial classifications are based on Standard Industrial Classifications, as shown in Table A.

Further information on the construction and use of the Input-Output tables can be found on the Input-Output website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/input-output .

Total Exports (Chapter 1)

Exports by industry and destination have been estimated from Scotland's Global Connections Survey. The survey in 2006 was circulated to a representative sample of approximately 10,500 companies with operations in Scotland. The companies were selected using stratified random sampling from the Inter-Departmental Business Register.

The response rate was 33 per cent (including nil responses). The information provided was supplemented with data from the ONSUK Monthly Production Inquiry, International Trade In Services survey and was then grossed up to cover all companies on the IDBR using turnover. Adjustments were also made to the data for some industries based on other available information.

More information on the sampling and grossing methodology is available on the Scottish Government website via http://www.scotland.gov.uk/exports .

Index of Manufactured Exports (Chapter 1)

The estimates that make up the quarterly index of manufactured exports are derived from data on sales of goods produced by the Scottish manufacturing industry for export outwith the UK. The Office for National Statistics collects the data used to produce these figures in their Monthly Production Inquiry.

The data are then deflated to 2000 prices using UK export producer price indices, which are also produced by the ONS. Deflated export sales of the companies covered by the survey are then grossed up to represent the manufacturing business population using the Inter Departmental Business Register ( IDBR). The data are then seasonally adjusted where appropriate. The Scottish Government has developed systems to seasonally adjust the series in line with standard National Statistics practice.

The index of Scottish manufactured exports is based on a sample of around 1,000 Scottish manufacturing companies per quarter. This sample covers all sizes of unit across the manufacturing sector.

Further information about the methodology of the index of manufactured exports can be found on the website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/exports .

Corporate Sector (Chapter 2)

The estimates given have been constructed using data from the Inter Departmental Business Register ( IDBR), Labour Force Survey ( LFS), the Family Resources Survey ( FRS) and the Survey of Personal Incomes ( SPI). The IDBR extract provides an estimate of the number of enterprises registered for VAT and/or PAYE. A modelling procedure that combines data from the IDBR with estimates derived from the LFS, FRS and SPI is used to calculate the number of unregistered enterprises. The principles of the model were developed by economic consultants working with the Department of Trade and Industry ( DTI) and Eurostat.

It should be borne in mind that the number of enterprises with no employees which are not registered on the IDBR is significant. These are estimated from a combination of sample surveys which are all subject to sampling error. For example, a yearly estimate of 6,000 taken from the LFS has a 95% confidence interval of +/- 2,640. It is the nature of sampling variability that the smaller the group whose size is being estimated, the proportionately less precise that estimate is. Very small estimates are subject to larger standard errors, which can result in fluctuation between years. For this reason year on year comparisons containing the smallest size band (enterprises with no employees) should be regarded with caution.

The estimates:

• Include enterprises that operate in Scotland irrespective of whether their head office is located in Scotland or elsewhere;
• Count enterprises only once (in Tables 2.1 and 2.2) or once each in each of the local areas they operate in (in Table 2.3), irrespective of the number of local units they maintain;
• Cover enterprises in the business sector - that is companies, sole traders, partnerships, public corporations/nationalised bodies and not for profit organisations - and exclude central and local government;
• Include enterprises from the sources described above, as follows (in 2008): 126,000 private enterprises were registered for VAT and 29,000 for PAYE only; to this 127,500 enterprises with zero employees are added, estimated on the basis of LFS, FRS and SPI figures;

Employment and turnover values were calculated for all enterprises, however, turnover values for Financial Intermediation enterprises have been excluded, as these are not available on a comparable basis.

Registered Enterprises

These are estimated from Scottish extracts of the IDBR taken in March of each year (prior to 2005 the November extract was used). Enterprises with no UK activity or dummy enterprises created to help with clerical procedures are excluded. Enterprises which have zero employment and zero turnover are also excluded as they are holding companies whose activity is recorded elsewhere or are enterprises not contributing to the economy at the time of the estimates.

Companies with only one employee (who is also the employer) are treated as a self-employed person working in a firm with zero employees unless the enterprise is part of an enterprise group. As these companies provide no employment for others it is more consistent to classify them as enterprises with no employees.

Most tables report on the business sector, excluding central or local government. The tables are therefore affected by the decision by ONS to re-classify Primary Health Care Trusts to the government sector in 2001 and subsequently in 2003 to re-classify the remaining NHS trusts to the government sector. While this effects relatively few large enterprises, the discontinuity in the employment and turnover tables is considerable: in 2001 the re-classification removed employment of 54,200 from the business sector; in 2003 the effect on business sector employment was -95,530, with a turnover change of -£4.7 billion.

Unregistered Enterprises

The LFS provides data on self-employment without employees (as first or second job). The figure for second jobs is augmented by data from the FRS on self-employment in third jobs. This estimate of the total number of self-employed jobs (with no employees) is compared to the self-employment registered on the IDBR in enterprises with no employees. As many self-employed people are not required to pay VAT or register for PAYE, the figure from the LFS is generally higher.

The difference between the two figures, self-employed jobs in unregistered enterprises, can be used as a starting point to estimate the additional sole traders or partners with no employees. The ratio between sole traders and partners is different for each industry and can be obtained from the SPI. Scottish ratios are calculated where statistically reliable, otherwise UK ratios are used to derive the number of unregistered enterprises from the number of self-employed jobs in unregistered enterprises. Each of these unregistered enterprises is assumed to provide employment for one (if sole trader) or two (if partnership).

Turnover in unregistered businesses will generally be lower than that of registered businesses of the same size, as turnover in the former would usually be below the VAT threshold. Turnover for the unregistered enterprises was imputed from turnover per head of registered enterprises with zero employment in that industry division and then scaled down by a factor of a half. For a few 2-digit industry divisions, this still left average annual turnover per unregistered business above the VAT threshold. In these cases, the unregistered turnover total was adjusted until turnover per unregistered business was under the VAT threshold for that year.

Geographical Analyses

The geographical analyses now use a postcode index file from the General Register Office for Scotland. Unregistered enterprises are not included in the geographical analyses. Hence, the allocable total for Scottish employment and turnover in Table 2.3 does not equate to those in the tables containing full estimates for the zero employee size band.

Size Bands

Enterprises in Table 2.1 to Table 2.3 are classified by employment size bands on the basis of their total UK employment. The rationale behind this approach is that the size of the overall enterprise determines its behaviour as an economic agent. An enterprise with a large number of employees in the UK as a whole is likely to behave like a large enterprise, irrespective of its level of Scottish employment.

An alternative approach involving the allocation of enterprises to employment size bands based on their total Scottish employment has not been included. This type of analysis is available on request from the Scottish Government.

The section on R&D classifies expenditure by product group. Details of these can be found at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_commerce/MA14_2006.pdf .

Scottish Annual Business Statistics (Chapter 3)

Scottish Annual Business Statistics are sourced from the Annual Business Inquiry ( ABI) conducted by the Office for National Statistics ( ONS). All ABI figures in this publication are at current prices unless otherwise stated. For information on the methodology used to compile regional ABI statistics, please visit the following ONS site: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/abi/background_info.asp .

Since 1998, the Scottish Government has paid for an enhanced Annual Business Inquiry sample in Scotland, to improve the quality of Scottish figures. In 2006, around 3,000 extra firms in Scotland were sampled as a result of this "boost", giving a total sample size in Scotland of around 8,200 firms.

Annual Business Inquiry data relating to Oil & Gas extraction ( SIC11.1) is allocated to UK regions (including Scotland) according to the address at which the business is registered. Such offshore activity is excluded from Scottish National Account figures ( e.g.ONS Regional Accounts, where it is assigned to an "Extra-regio" category and counted separately).

For changes which affect Total Employees and Per Employee variables from 2006, please go to following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/16170/4441 .

The manufacturing, construction and service sectors are based on the Standard Industrial Classifications ( SIC). Although the tables refer to the service sector for simplicity, it should be noted that the figures quoted do not relate to the entire service sector, but only to those sectors covered by the Office for National Statistics' Annual Business Inquiry. The SICs that are excluded from the ABI are 1.1-1.3 (part of agriculture), 65-67 (Financial Intermediation), 75 (Public Administration) and the following sub-classes of SIC 85 (Health and Social Work): 85.111, 85.12, 85.13, 85.311, 85.321.

Company revisions which affect 2005-06 data

Within industry 23.20 (Manufacture of refined petroleum products) and 24.14 (Manufacture of other basic organic chemicals) there have been significant revisions to Turnover, Purchases and GVA for both 2005 and 2006. This is due to a large reclassification of a business from Class 23.20 to Class 24.14 that came to light during the processing of the 2006 ABI inquiry. Further, for both 2005 and 2006, there has been an additional upward revision to Class 24.14 to correct underestimation.

Within industry 92.20 (Radio and television activities) a significant revision has been made to 2005 Turnover and GVA data after some overestimation was identified. The overestimation has also been identified for earlier years but in conjunction with current Annual Business Inquiry ( ABI) revision policy there will be no revision to published data for years prior to 2005.

For additional Tables not included in this publication, please visit the following website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/16170/4363 .

Definition of Terms - Scottish Annual Business Statistics

Number of Local	This relates to the number of individual business sites e.g. a plant, factory,
Units	shop etc.
Total turnover	Turnover is defined as Total sales and work done. This is calculated by adding to the value of Sales of goods produced, Goods purchased and resold without further processing, Work done and industrial services rendered and Non industrial services rendered.
Purchases of goods & services	This represents the value of all goods and services purchased during the year.
Gross Value Added at Basic Prices	Approximate gross value added represents the income generated by businesses out of which is paid wages and salaries, the cost of capital investment and financial charges, before arriving at a figure for profit. It includes taxes on production ( e.g. business rates), net of subsidies but excludes subsidies and taxes on products ( e.g.VAT and excise duty). For a fuller GVA definition, please go to the following link: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/abi/variable_info.asp .
Total Labour Costs	This represents the total cost to employers of employing staff. This includes gross wages & salaries and also employers' National Insurance contributions and contributions to other pension and welfare schemes.
Total employees	This is the point in time estimate of full and part time employees on the payroll on a set day.

Labour Market (Chapter 4)

Sources

Population data. Table 4.1 shows 2007 mid-year estimates of population. Population estimates are provided by the General Register Office for Scotland and are based on the 2001 census.

Estimates for economic activity, unemployment and total employment, as shown in Tables 4.2, 4.3 and 4.6, Chart 4.1 and 4.2, are from the Labour Force Survey ( LFS). Figures in Table 4.2 and 4.6 are from calendar quarter 2 (April-June) of the survey. Figures in Table 4.3 are from the Annual Population Survey ( APS) data set (January-December 2007). The LFS is a survey of individuals and is subject to sampling error, with information for local areas based on relatively small samples. However, the APS, used in Table 4.3, has a larger survey sample since it is comprised of 4 quarters of LFS data and has a boost to the survey in Scotland. Thus confidence intervals are much smaller for data from the APS and this is why it is used for Local Authority area analyses.

Unemployment. The Government's preferred measure of unemployment is the International Labour Organisation ( ILO) definition. Unemployment calculated on this basis is shown in Tables 4.2 and 4.4. This is obtained from the Labour Force Survey. The ILO unemployment rates for Local Authority areas shown in Table 4.4 are modelled from APSILO unemployment and claimant count unemployment data.

Qualifications and training information shown in Table 4.8 and Chart 4.3 are obtained from calendar quarter 2 (April-June) of the Labour Force Survey. Details of the qualifications at each SVQ level are provided in Table A below.

Table A: Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework

SCQF Levels	School and College Qualifications	College and University Qualifications	Scottish Vocational Qualifications
12		Doctorate
11		Masters	SVQ 5
10		Honours Degree
		*Graduate Diploma/Certificate
9		Ordinary Degree
		*Graduate Diploma/Certificate
8		Higher National Diploma	SVQ 4
		Diploma of Higher Education
7	Advanced Higher	Higher National Certificate
		Certificate of Higher Education
6	Higher		SVQ 3
5	Intermediate 2		SVQ 2
	Credit Standard Grade
4	Intermediate 1		SVQ 1
	General Standard Grade
	Access 3
	Foundation Standard Grade
2	Access 2
1	Access 1

All estimates from the Labour Force Survey were revised in 2008. This is because the information has been re-weighted to be consistent with the latest population estimates. This means some information will be inconsistent with what has been published in previous editions of SES.

Estimates of employee jobs, as shown in Table 4.5 are from the June quarter of the quarterly employee jobs series, data are not seasonally adjusted. Estimates in Chart 4.4 are taken from the 2006 Annual Business Inquiry. Data in Table 4.5 and Chart 4.4 are shown by industry groups based on the SIC2003 classification systems as outlined in Table A above. Both data sources are surveys of employers and are subject to sampling error, with information for local areas based on relatively small samples. Figures should therefore be treated with caution.

The source of data for Tables 4.9, 4.10, 4.11 and 4.12 showing unemployment figures, is the claimant count. This measures the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits. Only information on computerised claims is available for age and duration analysis (Table 4.10 and 4.11), however, these make up 99 per cent of all claims nationally. Data in Tables 4.10 and 4.11 are for March in each year and are not seasonally adjusted.

Table 4.12 shows annual claimant count rates for Local Authority areas. The claimant count data are used to estimate the numerator of the claimant count unemployment rate. The denominator is a measure of economic activity for working aged people (ages 16 to 59 for females and 16 to 64 for males), which is a residence-based rate. Economic activity is derived using three sources of data: The Annual Population Survey ( APS), 2001 Census of Population and General Register Office for Scotland ( GROS) mid-year population estimates. The number of economically active people of working age is obtained from the calendar year APS. This information is combined with population data at ward boundary level from the 2001 Census population and updated using GROS population data at Local Authority area level for each year. Rates are then scaled so that the Scotland rate equals the rate shown in Table 4.9. Table 4.9 shows annual average claimant count unemployment level and work-based rate.

Figures on earnings shown in Tables 4.16 to 4.20 are from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings ( ASHE). This is a business survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

Vacancies data shown in Tables 4.13 to 4.15 are not national statistics, details on the limitations of the data can be found at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/articles/ref/vacs/LMT%20200506-363.pdf . Data are from Jobcentre Plus vacancies (extracted from Nomis). Changes to Jobcentre Plus vacancy handling procedures have lead to a major discontinuity in the vacancy statistic pre and post May 2006. As a result, data post May 2006 is not comparable with data for earlier years. Industry groups are based on SIC2003 classification systems as outlined in Table A above. Occupation groups are based on the SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) 2000 system, details of which can be found at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/methods_quality/ns_sec/downloads/SOC2000_Vol1_V5.pdf .

Definition of Terms - Labour Market

Working age	16 to 64 for men and 16 to 59 for women.
Employment	People in employment means those working for at least one hour in a typical week.
Employment rate	Proportion of working aged people who are in employment.
Economic activity rate	Proportion of working aged people who are economically active.
Economically active	In employment or actively seeking work ( i.e. unemployed).
Economically	Not economically active, e.g. retired, student, sick/disabled, looking after
inactive	family/home.
Full-time workers	Persons employed for 30 hours or more during a typical week.
Part-time workers	Persons employed between 1 and 30 hours a week.
Unemployment	International Labour Organisation ( ILO) definition of unemployment. This counts people who are either 1) Out of work and want a job, have actively sought work in the last 4 weeks and are available to start work in the next 2 weeks or 2) Out of work, have found a job and are waiting to start in the next two weeks.
Claimant count	Number of people claiming unemployment related benefits (Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance Credits).

Household Income (Chapter 5)

Household income

Source

The household income measures and percentages below median income are derived from the Department for Work and Pensions' Households Below Average Income ( HBAI) analyses, which are derived from data from the Family Resources Survey.

Definitions

The income measure used in HBAI is weekly net equivalised household income. Income is the total income of all members of the household, including dependants. Income is adjusted for household size and composition by equivalisation, which reflects the common sense notion that a household of five adults will need a higher income than a person living alone to enjoy a comparable standard of living. The adjusted income is referred to as equivalised income.

HBAI employs two measures of income: Before Housing Costs ( BHC) and After Housing Costs ( AHC). The need for both measures arises from the variation in housing costs: in part this reflects variations in the quality of housing, but there are also significant cost variations that do not reflect quality variations. The growth in BHC income is likely to overstate improvements in the living standards of low-income groups, because it counts, as an income rise, higher Housing Benefit which merely offsets higher rents. Conversely, income growth AHC will tend to understate improvements in living standards where higher housing costs reflect improved housing. Because of this each measure has imperfections as a guide to differences in, and changes in, living standards, but the two are complementary.

Income Before Housing Costs ( BHC) includes the following main components: usual net earnings from employment; profit or loss from self-employment; all Social Security benefits; income from occupational and private pensions; investment income; maintenance payments (if a person receives them directly); income from educational grants and scholarships (including, for students, top up loans and parental contributions); the cash value of certain forms of income in kind.

Housing Costs include rent; water rates and community water charges; mortgage interest payments; structural insurance premiums; ground rent and service charges.

Income is net of the following: income tax payments; National Insurance contributions; domestic rates/council tax; contributions to occupational pension schemes; all maintenance and child support payments, which are deducted from the income of the person making the payment; parental contributions to students living away from home.

Public Sector (Chapter 6)

Employment

The employment estimates in Table 6.6, Chart 6.2 and Chart 6.3 are sourced from the quarterly Public Sector Employment in Scotland series.

Public Sector Employment Data Sources

The public sector comprises central government, local government and public corporations, as defined for the UK National Accounts. The Sector Classifications Guide ( MA23) provides information on the classification of organisations and institutions in the National Accounts. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/SearchRes.asp?term=ma23 .

Local Government Sources

Local Government data are sourced from the quarterly Joint Staffing Watch Survey, which has been carried out since 1996. ¹ This provides the number of Local Authority employees by service group; these are: Education teaching staff, Education other staff, Social Work, Police & Related, Fire & Related and Other staff. Local Government also includes national parks staff. Due to definitional issues, this data may differ from other sources of information for the individual sectors of Local Government. More information on these definitional issues can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/03/20889/55029 .

Central Government Sources

Armed Forces

Armed forces data are sourced from the Ministry of Defence's quarterly publication of UK Regular Forces. ²

Civil Servants

Data for the Civil Servants are collected directly from the organisations themselves. The organisations included are:

Scottish Government (excl. Agencies)

Agencies	General Register Office
Communities Scotland	National Archive Scotland
Courts Group	Registers of Scotland
Fisheries Research Services	Transport Scotland
Historic Scotland	Scottish Building Standards Agency
HM Inspectorate of Education	Social Work Inspection Agency
Office of Accountant in Bankruptcy	Office for the Scottish Charity Regulator
Scottish Housing Regulator	The Mental Health Tribunal Scotland
Scottish Agricultural Science Agency	UK departments with staff in Scotland
Scottish Court Service	Ministry of Defence
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency	Department for Work and Pensions
Scottish Prison Service	Department for International Development
Scottish Public Pensions Agency	HM Revenue and Customs
Student Awards Agency for Scotland	Scotland Office
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal	Other Civil Service

Public Corporations

Public corporations are companies or quasi-corporations controlled by government. These companies receive more than half their income from sales of goods or services into the market place. Public Corporations within the Public Sector Employment in Scotland series include Scottish Public Corporations and UK Public Corporations with a presence in Scotland. Data for the Scottish Public Corporations are collected directly from the organisations themselves. The Scottish Public Corporations included are:

Audit Scotland
Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd
Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd
Scottish Water
Strathclyde Passenger Transport
Aberdeen Harbour Board
Northern Lighthouse Board

Data for the UK Public Corporations with a presence in Scotland are estimated based on UK data and business survey information. The UK Public Corporations currently included are:

Civil Aviation Authority
British Waterways
The Crown Estate Commissioners
Post Office Ltd
Horse Race Totalisator Board
Driving Standards Agency
Vehicle and Operator Services
Ordinance Survey
Defence Aviation Repair Agency
The British Council
Remploy Ltd
OFCOM
Channel Four Television Corporation
British Energy Ltd
British Energy Generation ( UK) Ltd
Crown Estate Commissioners
Northern Rock PLC

Non-Departmental Bodies

Non-Departmental Bodies ( NDPBs) within this publication are those defined within National Accounts as NDPBs and include both Scottish NDPBs and UKNDPBs with employees in Scotland. Advisory NDPBs are also included in this publication. Data for the Scottish NDPBs are collected directly from the organisations themselves. The Scottish NDPBs currently included are:

Crofters Commission
Deer Commission
Highlands & Islands Enterprise
Learning & Teaching Scotland
National Galleries of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
National Museums of Scotland
Scottish Children's Reporter
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Funding Councils (Higher & Further Education)
Scottish Legal Aid Board
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Police Services Authority
Scottish Parliament Corporate Body
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Scottish Qualifications Authority
SportScotland
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
The Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care
Scottish Social Services Council
The Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland
VisitScotland
Highland RFC Association
Careers Scotland
Bord Gaidhlig Naa H-Alba (The Gaelic Development Agency)
Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland
Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland
Architecture and Design Scotland
Passengers View Scotland
General Teaching Council for Scotland
Lands Tribunal for Scotland
Mobility & Access Committee for Scotland
Private Rented Housing Panel
Risk Management Authority
Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
Scottish University for Industry
Learndirect Scotland
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority
Cairngorms National Park Authority

Data for the UKNDPBs with a presence in Scotland are estimated based on UK data and business survey information. The UK Public NDPBs currently included are:

Student Loans Company
Construction Industry Training Board
Medical Research Council
Sea Fish Industry Authority
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Community Development Foundation
Commission for Equality and Human Rights
Disability Rights Commission

NHS

NHS employment in Scotland is available for Q3 each year, the other quarters data are estimated. ³

Miscellaneous

The following organisations are not included in any sub-sector of the public sector but are included in the total:

BBC
Forestry Commission
Electoral Commission

Scottish Government Statistician Group

Our Aim

To provide relevant and reliable information, analysis and advice that meet the needs of government, business and the people of Scotland.

Objectives

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• Developing our understanding of customer requirements to ensure statistics are kept relevant and analysis is well targeted;
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• Where practicable improving timeliness;
• Providing more statistics disaggregated by age, gender and ethnicity;
• Developing more data for small areas through the Neighbourhood Statistics project;
• Contributing to production of comparable statistics across the UK and internationally.

2. To ensure effective use of our statistics by

• Contributing more directly to policy processes inside and where possible outside government;
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• Improving the advice provided on statistics.

3. To work effectively with users and providers by

• Maintaining arrangements to consult and involve users and providers;
• Involving users and providers in planning developments in outputs and processes;
• Minimising the burden on data providers through dropping or streamlining collections as appropriate, to ensure the benefits of the information justify the costs of collection.

4. To develop the quality of statistics by

• Assuring and improving quality as an integral part of data collection and analysis and through regular reviews in line with National Statistics quality strategy;
• Developing statistical methods, systems and classifications;
• Working with the rest of the Government Statistical Service to develop joint approaches/ solutions where appropriate.

5. To assure the integrity of statistics by

• Maintaining and promoting integrity through implementation of the National Statistics Code of Practice and related protocols;
• Safeguarding the confidentiality of data subjects.

6. To ensure the efficient and effective delivery of statistics products and services by

• Making best use of all sources including administrative sources;
• Working with other analysts to maximise the contribution of our own and other analysts' work;
• Ensuring value for money;
• Making best use of Information and Communications Technology;
• Ensuring effective communication within the Statistician Group.

7. To develop our workforce and competences by

• Ensuring recruitment of staff with the necessary skills and potential;
• Ensuring development of expertise amongst existing staff;
• Promoting and upholding the standards of the statistics profession.

This is a National Statistics publication

"This is a National Statistics publication. It has been produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice Protocol - see http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about_ns/cop/default.asp

These statistics undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference."

Details of pre-release access will be provided in the Scottish Government Statistics Website under 'Forthcoming Releases'.

Correspondence and enquiries

Enquiries on Scottish Economic Statistics should be addressed to:

Richard Morrison

Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
4-ER St Andrew's House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Telephone: (0131) 244 3768;
Fax: (0131) 244 5315
e-mail: economic.statistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

General enquiries on Scottish Government statistics can be addressed to:

Angela McLean

Office of the Chief Statistician
The Scottish Government
3 Floor West Rear, St Andrew's House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Telephone: (0131) 244 0442;
Fax: (0131) 244 2223
e-mail: statistics.enquiries@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Advice on specific areas of Scottish Government statistical work can be obtained from staff at the telephone numbers given below:

Scottish Government Statistics contacts

Agricultural census and labour force	(0131) 244 6150
Business	(0141) 242 5446
Community Care	(0131) 244 3777
Courts and law	(0131) 244 2227
Economy	(0131) 244 3330
Environment	(0131) 244 0445
Equality	(0131) 244 0324
Fisheries	(0131) 244 6441
Further and Higher Education	(0141) 242 0273
Health	(0131) 244 3432
Housing	(0131) 244 7236
Income, Tax and Benefits	(0131) 244 2583
Labour market	(0141) 242 5446
Local government finance	(0131) 244 7033
Planning	(0131) 244 0439
Prisons	(0131) 244 2147
Recorded crime	(0131) 244 2635
Schools - pupils and teachers	(0131) 244 1689
Schools - qualifications	(0131) 244 0315
Scottish Government personnel	(0131) 244 3926
Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics	(0131) 244 0442
Transport	(0131) 244 7255

Other contacts for Scottish statistics

Forestry Commission	(0131) 314 6337
General Register Office for Scotland - Vital statistics and publications - Population statistics, census statistics or digital boundary products	(0131) 314 4243 (0131) 314 4254
The Scottish Funding Councils for Higher and Further Education	(0131) 313 6575

For general enquiries about National Statistics in the United Kingdom Government contact the National Statistics Public Enquiry Service on

020 7533 5888
minicom: 01633 812399
Email: info@statistics.gov.uk
Fax: 01633 652747
Letters:

room DG/18,
1 Drummond Gate,
London
SW1V 2QQ

You can also find National Statistics on the internet - go to www.statistics.gov.uk

If you would like to be consulted about new or existing statistical collections or receive notification of forthcoming statistical publications, please register your interest on the Scottish Government ScotStat website at www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/scotstat

Current contact points, e-mail addresses and the publications listed below as well as a range of other statistical publications can be found on the Scottish Government Web site at www.scotland.gov.uk/stats

Further information on the General Register Office for Scotland is available on the website www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

Recent Economy Statistics Publications

Ref no.	Title	Last published	Price
	Gross Domestic Product for Scotland for the Second Quarter of 2008	22/10/2008	Free
	Index of Manufactured Exports for the Second Quarter of 2008	01/10/2008	Free
0 7559 5793 4	Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2006-2007	20/06/2008	Free
	Scottish Households Below Average Income	10/06/2008	Free
	Scotland's Global Connection Survey 2006	18/12/2007	Free
	Input-Output Tables and Multipliers for Scotland 2004	12/12/2007	Free

Additional copies of these publications may be acquired from Richard Morrison, Office of the Chief Economic Adviser, 4-ER St Andrew's House, Edinburgh EH1 3DG Telephone: (0131) 244 3768; Fax: (0131) 244 5315

e-mail: economic.statistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Complaints and suggestions

If you are not satisfied with our service, please write to the Chief Statistician, Mr Rob Wishart, 3R.01, St Andrew's House, Edinburgh EH1 3DG, Telephone: (0131) 244 0302, e-mail rob.wishart@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. We also welcome any comments or suggestions that would help us to improve our standards of service.

ISBN 978-0-7559-5855-9

Crown Copyright

Brief extracts from the Crown Copyright material in this publication may be reproduced provided the source is fully acknowledged.