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User guide - data sources

Data Sources

A wide variety of data sources have been used to compile the tables. Wherever possible, real Scottish data from ONS inquiries has been used, in addition to data from Scottish Government surveys or other official sources.

The data presented in this balance represent our best estimate of the structure of supply and demand.

The main data sources used in this balance were as follows:

Agriculture

The estimates are largely based on data from the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Research and Anaysis Directorate (RERAD).

Forestry

These estimates are based on data supplied by the Forestry Commission combined with data from the Scottish Annual Business Statistics Database, which is compiled using the ONS Annual Business Inquiry.

Fishing

The estimates are based on data from RERAD and the Scottish Annual Business Statistics Database, which is compiled using the ONS Annual Business Inquiry.

Production industries

Estimates for the production industries are based on the Scottish Annual Business Statistics Database, which is compiled using the ONS Annual Business Inquiry

Construction

Estimates for the construction industry are based on Scottish Annual Business Statistics database, which is compiled using ONS Annual Business Inquiry data.

Services (excluding the public sector and those mentioned separately below)

These estimates are based on Scottish Annual Business Statistics, which is compiled using ONS Annual Business Inquiry data.

Telecommunications

These estimates are based on UK input-output matrices.

Financial services

These estimates are largely based on information on rates of growth in the industry in Scotland, taken from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, and UK and UK input-output matrices.

Public services

The main sources for these estimates are Government expenditure records, combined with data from the Scottish Annual Business Statistics database, which is compiled from the ONS Annual Business Inquiry.

Distributors' trading margins

These estimates are based on the UK product level data which, along with output, is used to estimate Scottish margins. The calculation of Distributors' trading margins is performed separately for household purchases.

Taxes less subsidies on production and on products

Government records provide a detailed breakdown of individual taxes and subsidies. Applying UK tax ratios to Scottish activity at the most detailed industry level derives Scottish taxes and subsidies. Each product tax is allocated on the basis of the pattern of expenditure on those products attracting the tax.

Consumers' & tourists expenditure

Data on tourist expenditure was derived from the UK Tourism Survey and International Passenger Survey. Scotland:UK ratios from the Expenditure & Food Survey were applied to UK data to create Scottish household expenditure.

Government final consumption

Local Government expenditure is estimated from Local Government Financial returns. Central Government expenditure is estimated from Scottish Government expenditure data.

Change in inventories

Structural information is also derived from UK inventory matrices. This analysis is based on data available from Scottish Annual Business Statistics, RERAD and the Forestry Commission.

Gross fixed capital formation

Little information on the product composition of GFCF is collected, and therefore UK proportions are applied to Scottish sectoral activity. The levels of capital formation by Scottish industries is obtained from Scottish Annual Business Statistics, along with ONS Regional GFCF estimates.

Exports

Information on exports to Rest of the UK (RUK) and Rest of the World (RoW) is based on detailed analysis of data from the Global Connections Survey (GCS).

Imports

Information from the Global Connections Survey (GCS) is used to create detailed imports breakdowns.

Page updated: Wednesday, May 21, 2008