Harmonisation bulletins
Harmonisation bulletin #2005/03: Update of the Harmonised Concepts and Questions for Social Data Sources
Dear colleague,
The 'Harmonised Concepts and Questions Document for Government Social Surveys', has been updated with the changes agreed at the March 2005 National Statistics Harmonisation Group (NSHG) meeting. The update includes the following amendments and additions:
1. TENURE
Module: Other Primary Standards
Following the changes to the Tenure input categories in December 2004, the Tenure output categories have now been updated.
Updates to the Tenure standards 77.6 Kb Pdf document.
2. MOBILE PHONE USERS
New Module: Other Primary Standards
A new standard survey question to identify respondents to telephone surveys who may be using a mobile while driving was harmonised as a primary standard.
The recently harmonised question used to identify mobile phone users while driving 77.6 Kb Pdf document.
3. BENEFITS AND TAX CREDITS
Module: Benefits and Tax Credits
Update includes:
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changes to the output categories to remove redundant benefits and to capture the recent changes in the benefit system
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changes to guidance on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) mobility, and
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changes to details of questions to update benefit awards in line with the 2005-06 prices, and to capture the recent changes to benefits.
The updated Benefits and Tax Credit standards 199 Kb Pdf document.
4. SOCIAL CAPITAL
Module: Social Capital
The module has been updated to include a link to the annotated guide to harmonised questions for use in the measurement of social capital.
The updated Social Capital module 118.6 Kb Pdf document.
5. INTERNET ACCESS
New Module: Internet access
A set of questions on Internet access have been harmonised as a secondary standard.
Recently harmonised Internet access questions 56.4 Kb Pdf document.
For further information please email harmonisation@ons.gsi.gov.uk
Harmonisation bulletin #2004/03: Update of the Harmonised Concepts and Questions for Social Data Sources
Dear colleague,
The 'Harmonised Concepts and Questions Document for Government Social Surveys', has been updated with the changes agreed at the November 2004 National Statistics Harmonisation Group (NSHG) meeting. The update includes the following amendments and additions:
1. TENURE
Module: Other Primary Standards
Updates include:
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References to 'New Town Developments' have been removed as New Town Developments no longer exist in the UK.
-
Input notes now take account of the new Commonhold tenure introduced under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.
Updates to the Tenure standards 77.6 Kb Pdf document can be found here.
2. RELIGIOUS IDENTITY
New Module: Religious Identity
Questions on Religious Identity have recently been harmonised as a secondary standard. Questions on Religious Identity should be asked alongside the ethnic group and national identity question.
Recently harmonised Religious Identity questions 76.9 Kb Pdf document can be found here.
3. Annex C: UPTAKE OF HARMONISED CONCEPTS AND QUESTIONS IN MAJOR GOVERNMENT SOCIAL SURVEYS
Module: Introduction to Harmonised Standards
The table displaying the uptake of harmonised concepts and questions used across major government social surveys has been updated in line with self-reported data.
Other changes to the harmonisation website include:
4. Index
Please note the index can now be found on the front page of the harmonisation website.
Note: There will be a review of all harmonised standards next year in relation to being re-classified as primary or secondary standards.
For further information please email harmonisation@ons.gsi.gov.uk.
Harmonisation bulletin #2004/02: Validation of new Rural and Urban Definitions and Classifications
You are invited to take part in a validation exercise on the methodology and results of the new classifications of rural and urban areas. Please find the invitation letter attached below.
The rural and urban definitions and classifications project has been co-sponsored by Office for National Statistics; Countryside Agency; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Welsh Assembly Government. It seeks to classify geographic areas according to whether they are rural or urban.
The validation is being conducted through the Rural-Urban website. The website provides background information and details the methodology used to classify rural and urban areas.
We recommend that you provide comments because it is important that the classifications meet the needs of as many data users and suppliers as possible. Overall the classifications need to be 'fit-for-purpose' for use in National Statistics datasets, and your views will provide valuable input to this. We would appreciate the completion of the online questions by the 14 May 2004.
The feedback from the validation process will help to improve the method and final results. When the classifications are finalised the intention is for them to be endorsed as a standard to be adopted throughout National Statistics.
Validation document 65 Kb Word document
Harmonisation bulletin #2004/01: Clarification of outputs for National Statistics Socio-Economic Status (NS-SEC)
Dear colleague,
A number of recent queries have suggested that there has been some confusion over the use and presentation of NS-SEC. To clarify, NS-SEC is presented with eight analytic classes. The class 'Never worked and long-term unemployed' is shown as class 8. The confusion appears to be over where to place the three categories 'Students', 'Occupations not stated or inadequately described' and 'Not classifiable'. These should be shown separately, grouped as 'Not classified'. They should not be added to any of the classes; they should not be shown as part of class 8. The same applies for the 3-class and 5-class versions of NS-SEC - these three categories should be added to form 'Not classified', which is distinct from any of the other classes.
Note that this does not constitute a change of question, classification or policy, but merely a clarification of the existing standard. The Harmonised Concepts & Questions document will be updated to clarify this in its next release.
For further information, please email harmonisation@ons.gsi.gov.uk
