Summary
The Statistical Support for Local Government branch is responsible for collecting and preparing statistical information, analysis and advice on local government income and expenditure. We are also expanding our areas of activity into areas of performance, improvement and efficiency in Local Government.
We provide accurate and informative analyses and advice to a wide range of policy customers both within the Scottish Government and in other departments. Typical external customers include the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and HM Treasury. We produce an annual publication (Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics) and contribute to other publications - Scottish Transport Statistics and the Annual Abstract. We also receive a large number of ad-hoc requests.
Information is collected from Local Authorities using our statistical returns and validated to ensure a high level of accuracy.
Structure and functions of local government
The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which came into force on 1 April 1996, significantly changed the structure of local government in Scotland. Prior to the 1996-97 financial year local government in Scotland operated mainly on a two-tier basis, with 9 regional councils and 53 district councils. The district and regional councils had responsibility for delivering different types of local government services while the three island councils provided services for Orkney, Shetland and Eilean Siar (the Western Isles).
Local government reorganisation left the 3 island councils unchanged while the district councils and regional councils were replaced with 29 single tier (or unitary) bodies. These 32 unitary councils are responsible for all the local government services formerly administered by their predecessors with two main exceptions: water and sewerage and the reporters to Children's Panels (for which responsibility now lies with the Scottish Children's Reporters Administration).
In addition to information from the 32 unitary authorities described above, information is also collected and published on the income and expenditure of police, fire and valuation services. For most of Scotland these services are provided through Joint Boards, which are the collective responsibility of two or more councils. Information is also drawn from the income and expenditure of the Forth Bridge, Tay Bridge and the Regional Transport Partnerships (which are the collective responsibility of groups of councils in the same way as police and fire services).