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Headline Results from the 2007 Scottish Household Survey

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8. Local services

Improving public perceptions of the quality of public services delivered is a national indicator within the Government's performance framework. Specifically, this includes perceptions of local health services, local schools and public transport.

Table 8.1 shows that 57.8% of adults said they were very of fairly satisfied with all 3 local services. This figure includes those who expressed 'No opinion' for up to 2 of the services. They are included because, for example, those without children might have no opinion about the local schools but are satisfied with all other aspects of local services. The base number quoted also therefore includes people with up to 2 'no opinions'.

Table 8.1: Percentage of people very or fairly satisfied with the quality of local health services, local schools and public transport combined

2007 data, Adults

% very or fairly satisfied

Base

% satisfied with all three of these (of those services for which an opinion was given) 9

57.8

10,082

From June 2007, the question from which this is derived was asked of three quarters of the sample. From January to May 2007, it was asked of all random adults.

Table 8.2 shows that individually, adults were most satisfied with local health services (81.9%), followed by local schools (78.8%). Adults were least satisfied with public transport, although almost 7 in 10 (69.9%) were very or fairly satisfied with that service.

Table 8.2: Percentage of people very or fairly satisfied with the quality of public services delivered - of those who gave an opinion

Row Percentages, 2007 data, Adults

% very or fairly satisfied

Base (people stating 'no opinion' excluded from results)

Local health services

81.9

9,825

Local Schools

78.8

6,267

Public Transport

69.9

8,600

From June 2007, this question was asked of three quarters of the sample. From January to May 2007, it was asked of all random adults.

The majority of adults find most services convenient to access, although adults with no access to a car find accessing some services less convenient. For example, 76% of respondents who have no access to a car find ATMs very or fairly convenient compared with 87% of those who have access to a car. However, adults with access to a car say public transport is convenient (79%) less often compared to those without (89%). Those with access to a car also say more often that hospital outpatients departments, doctors and dentists are convenient (Table 8.3).

Table 8.3: Percentage finding services very or fairly convenient by access to a car

Column percentages, 2007 data, Adults

Access to a car

No access to a car

All

Post office

86

85

86

Banking services

76

70

74

Cash machine or ATM

87

76

84

Doctors surgery

83

78

82

Small amount of grocery or food shopping

94

93

94

Chemist/pharmacist

89

88

89

Hospital outpatients department

60

53

58

Petrol station

86

43

76

Public transport

79

89

81

Dentist

70

65

69

Base

7,114

2,951

10,065

Columns add to more than 100% since multiple responses allowed

From June 2007, this question was asked of three quarters of the sample. From January to May 2007, it was asked of all random adults.

The type of area in which adults live also impacts on perceptions of convenience of some services. For example, adults living in remote rural areas say public transport is very or fairly convenient less often - 53% compared with 87% in large urban areas. Respondents in urban areas and small towns more often report that they find dentists and chemists/ pharmacists convenient than do those in rural areas. Fewer residents in large urban and accessible rural areas report that doctor's surgeries are convenient than do adults who live in any other type of area. (Table 8.4).

Table 8.4: Percentage finding services very or fairly convenient by urban/rural classification

Column percentages, 2007 data, Adults

Large urban areas

Other urban areas

Accessible small towns

Remote small towns

Accessible rural

Remote rural

Scotland

Post office

81

84

90

94

84

87

84

Banking services

72

78

71

88

62

69

73

Cash machine or ATM

82

85

89

90

74

74

82

Doctors surgery

77

81

85

88

78

84

80

Small amount of grocery or food shopping

92

93

95

95

88

88

92

Chemist/pharmacist

88

89

94

94

77

73

87

Hospital outpatients department

58

60

50

71

50

51

57

Petrol station

71

79

74

85

69

77

74

Public transport

87

84

80

81

60

53

80

Dentist

70

72

71

70

54

56

68

Base

3,407

3,032

866

631

1,330

1,037

10,303

Columns add to more than 100% since multiple responses allowed

From June 2007, this question was asked of three quarters of the sample. From January to May 2007, it was asked of all random adults.

Less than half of all respondents (41%) agree that the services provided by their local council are of high quality. From the age of 25, this is strongly related to the respondent's age. Older people more often agree or strongly agree that services are of high quality (51% of those aged 75 and over compared with 34% of those aged 25-34). A higher percentage of 16-24 year olds neither agreed nor disagreed, or had no opinion about the quality of services provided (40%). (Table 8.5).

Table 8.5: Level of agreement with the statement 'My council provides high quality services' by age

Column percentages, 2007 data, Adults

16 to 24

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 59

60 to 74

75 plus

All

Strongly agree

3

3

4

4

7

8

5

Tend to agree

31

31

35

34

40

43

36

Neither agree nor disagree

25

27

26

23

17

18

22

Tend to disagree

16

19

20

22

20

16

20

Strongly disagree

9

12

11

14

12

7

11

No opinion

15

8

4

3

4

7

6

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Base

784

1,376

1,808

2,468

2,429

1,357

10,222

From June 2007, this question was asked of three quarters of the sample. From January to May 2007, it was asked of all random adults.

Recycling services are used by the majority (85%) of households in Scotland. The items most households recycle are newspapers, magazines, paper and cardboard (81%) with two thirds of households recycling glass bottles and jars (67%). Over half of all households recycle metal cans (59%) and plastic bottles (58%). Recycling of these items is related to the type of property in which households live, reflecting the availability of recycling facilities. For example, 92% of households living in a house or bungalow recycle one or more of these items compared with 55% for those living in high rise flats. (Table 8.6).

Table 8.6: Items recycled in the past month by accommodation type

Column percentages, 2007 data, Households

House or bungalow

Flat (new or traditional tenement / four-in-a-block or conversion

Flat (in a high-rise block with five or more levels)

All 1

Glass bottles and jars

75

51

39

67

Plastic bottles

63

48

33

58

Metal cans

66

46

33

59

Newspaper/magazine/paper/ cardboard

89

66

51

81

One or more of the above

92

70

55

84

Base

7,958

3,018

258

11,331

1 'All' includes households living in caravans or other accommodation

Columns add to more than 100% since multiple responses allowed

From June 2007, this question was asked of three quarters of the sample. From January to May 2007, it was asked of all households.

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Page updated: Monday, June 9, 2008