Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2009: Core Module - Attitudes to Government, the Economy and Public Services in Scotland

ANNEX A - DETAILED TABLES

Notes on tables

'*' indicates less than 0.5 percent but greater than zero
'-' indicates no respondents gave this answer
All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number (from 2 decimal places, such that 0.49 rounds down and 0.51 up)

Chapter 2 detailed tables

Table A.1: How much do you trust the UK government to work in Scotland's best long-term interest? (column %)

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Just about always	3	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	2
Most of the time	29	16	20	17	19	20	21	19	32	23
Only some of the time	52	54	55	51	58	50	53	52	44	48
Almost never	14	26	22	26	20	26	21	24	18	24
(Don't know)	-	-	-	-	-	2	3	3	3	3
(Not answered)	-	-	-	-	-	*	*	-	*	-
Sample size	1482	1663	1605	1665	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

Table A.2: How much do you trust the Scottish Government/Executive /Parliament* to work in Scotland's best interests?

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Just about always	26	9	13	9	10	9	10	8	14	14
Most of the time	55	45	52	43	52	43	46	43	57	47
Only some of the time	14	34	29	34	31	37	33	37	22	31
Almost never	2	9	5	11	4	10	7	8	4	5
(Don't know)	-	-	-	-	-	2	3	3	4	3
(Not answered)	-	-	-	-	-	*	*	-	*	*
Sample size	1482	1663	1605	1665	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

*Prior to 2004, the question asked about the Parliament. In 2004 an experiment was run whereby half the sample was asked about the Scottish Parliament and half was asked about the Scottish Executive. The change of wording made negligible difference to the responses given therefore the combined results are shown here. In 2009, the wording was changed again to ask about the Scottish Government, following the September 2007 name change.

Table A.3: How much would you say you've seen or heard about the work of the UK government over the last twelve months?

	%	%	%	%
	2004	2005	2006	2009
A great deal	11	12	14	23
Quite a lot	23	27	27	29
Some	29	26	26	23
Not very much	31	29	26	19
Nothing at all	5	5	6	4
(Don't know)	1	2	1	1
(Not answered)	-	*	-	-
Sample size	1637	1549	1594	1482

Note: this question was not asked on SSA 2007

Table A.4: And how much would you say you've seen or heard about the work of the Scottish Government/Executive* over the last twelve months?

	%	%	%	%
	2004	2005	2006	2009
A great deal	9	7	8	14
Quite a lot	21	24	27	32
Some	30	28	31	29
Not very much	33	34	26	20
Nothing at all	7	7	7	4
(Don't know)	1	1	1	1
(Not answered)	-	*	-	-
Sample size	1637	1549	1594	1482

Note: this question was not asked on SSA 2007

* Prior to 2009, the question asked about the 'Scottish Executive'.

Table A.5: From what you have seen and heard so far do you think that having a Scottish parliament is giving ordinary people…

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	1997*	1999**	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
...more say in how Scotland is governed	79	64	44	38	31	39	31	37	37	47	47
...less say	2	2	3	4	4	4	6	5	5	3	3
...or, is it making no difference	17	32	51	56	62	54	60	55	55	45	47
(Don't know)	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	4	4	4	3
(Not answered)	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	*	-	*	*
Sample size	882	1482	1663	1605	1665	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

*1997 data source = Referendum study

**1999-2009 data source = Scottish Social Attitudes survey

Note:

The question wording in each year was:

1999 "Will a Scottish Parliament…"

2000 "Do you think that having a Scottish parliament is going to…"

2001 onwards "Do you think that having a Scottish Parliament is giving…"

Table A.6: In general how good would you say the Scottish Executive/Government* is at listening to people's views before it takes decisions?

	%	%	%	%	%
	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Very good	1	3	2	2	4
Quite good	31	32	34	41	44
Not very good	41	38	39	35	33
Not at all good	17	16	14	9	8
(Don't know)	10	12	11	13	11
(Not answered)	*	*	-	*	-
Sample size	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

*From 2004-2007, the question asked about the Scottish Executive. In 2009, the question was amended to ask about the Scottish Government.

Table A.7: And how good would you say the UK government is at listening to people's views before it takes decisions?

	%	%	%	%	%
	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Very good	1	1	1	*	1
Quite good	14	15	17	21	17
Not very good	50	52	49	50	51
Not at all good	30	25	27	21	23
(Don't know)	6	7	7	8	7
(Not answered)	*	*	*	*	-
Sample size	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

Table A.8: Which do you think ought to have most influence over the way Scotland is run?

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	1999	2000	2001	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
The Scottish Government/Executive/Parliament*	74	72	74	66	67	67	64	71	72
The UK government at Westminster	13	13	14	20	12	13	11	14	13
Local councils in Scotland	8	10	8	9	17	15	19	9	11
The European Union	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	*
(Don't know)	-	5	-	-	3	4	4	4	3
(Not answered)	-	-	-	-	*	*	*	*	-
Sample size	1482	1663	1605	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

*In 2004 an experiment was run whereby half the sample was asked about the Scottish Parliament and half was asked about the Scottish Executive. The change of wording made negligible difference to the responses given, therefore the combined results are shown here. In subsequent years (2005-2007), the question asked solely about the Scottish Executive.

Table A.9: From what you have seen and heard so far do you think that having a Scottish parliament is giving Scotland.....

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	1997 Ref	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
...a stronger voice in the United Kingdom	70	70	52	52	39	49	35	41	43	61	52
...a weaker voice in the United Kingdom	9	7	6	6	7	7	7	6	6	4	5
...or, is it making no difference?	17	20	40	40	52	41	55	50	49	32	40
(Don't know)	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	3	3	3	3
(Not answered)	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	*	-	*	*
Sample size	882	1482	1663	1605	1665	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

Note:

The question wording in each year was:

1999 "Will a Scottish Parliament…"

2000 "Do you think that having a Scottish parliament is going to…"

2001 onwards "Do you think that having a Scottish Parliament is giving…"

Chapter 3 detailed tables

Table A.10: 2 What about the Scotland's economy? Has it got stronger or weaker since ( month of interview) 2008?

	%	%	%	%	%
	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
A lot stronger	3	2	2	2	1
A little stronger	25	21	28	28	7
Stayed the same	29	34	28	36	11
A little weaker	22	19	18	10	43
A lot weaker	5	3	2	1	29
(Don't know)	17	22	21	22	8
Sample size	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

Table A.11: What about the general standard of living in Scotland? Has it increased or fallen since ( month of interview) 2008?

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	1999	2001	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Increased a lot	2	3	4	4	3	4	2	3
Increased a little	27	27	30	27	25	30	27	13
Stayed the same	43	45	36	40	45	37	41	25
Fallen a little	18	15	17	18	17	17	16	38
Fallen a lot	6	4	7	6	4	5	4	16
(Don't know)	5	6	7	5	7	6	9	4
Sample size	1482	1605	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

Note:

The question wording in each year was:

1999 and 2001 "Thinking back to the UK general election in 1997"

2003 "Thinking back to the last Scottish election in 1999"

2004 onwards "since (month of interview) (previous year)".

Table A.12: Satisfaction with different aspects of life (2007, 2009)

	2007	2009	2007	2009	2007	2009	2007	2009
	Satisfaction with job?		Satisfaction with family/personal life		Satisfaction with standard of living		Satis with life as a whole?
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
0 (extremely dissatisfied/ unhappy)	1	1	*	*	*	*	*	*
1	1	3	*	*	*	*	*	*
2	3	1	*	*	1	1	*	*
3	3	5	1	1	1	2	1	1
4	4	3	2	1	3	3	1	2
5	10	10	3	5	5	7	5	5
6	9	7	4	4	7	8	7	5
7	18	18	11	9	17	16	14	14
8	28	28	23	22	30	27	30	29
9	15	10	23	22	19	18	23	23
10 (extremely satisfied/ happy)	9	15	31	36	16	17	19	21
Don't know	*	*	1	*	*	*	*	-
Not answered	-	-	*	*	*	-	*	*
MEAN ¹	7.04	7.14	8.41	8.46	7.79	7.64	8.06	8.04
Sample size	827	765	1508	1482	1508	1482	1508	1482
Sample size excluding* DK/not answered*	825	764	1492	1475	1498	1480	1495	1479

1 - Means are calculated on sample excluding don't know/not answered.

The base for 'job satisfaction' includes only those in paid employment

Table A.13: Attitudes to unemployment benefits (1999- 2003, 2006, 2009)

	%		%	%	%	%
	1999	2000	2001	2003	2006	2009
Too low and cause hardship	36	43	45	41	33	31
Too high and discourage job seeking	33	28	26	32	39	42
(Neither)	22	17	16	16	18	17
(Other response)	3	7	6	5	3	5
Don't know	5	6	7	7	6	5
Not answered	*	-	-	*	*	-
	1482	1663	1605	1508	1594	1482

Table A.14: Thinking back over the last twelve months*, that is since ( month of interview) 2008, would you say that since then the standard of the health service in Scotland has increased or fallen? (1999, 2001, 2003-2007, 2009)

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	1999	2001	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Increased a lot	2	2	2	3	2	4	2	4
Increased a little	21	21	18	15	15	16	17	22
Stayed the same	35	29	25	31	38	31	45	41
Fallen a little	20	26	26	23	24	23	20	17
Fallen a lot	14	15	20	23	12	18	6	8
(Don't know)	8	7	8	5	10	8	10	8
(Not answered)	-	-	-	-	*	-	-	-
Sample size	1482	1605	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

*The question wording in each year was:

1999 and 2001 "Thinking back to the UK general election in 1997"

2003 "Thinking back to the last Scottish election in 1999"

2004 onwards "Thinking back over the last 12 months".

Table A.15: And what about the quality of education in Scotland? Has it increased or fallen since ( month of interview) 2008?*

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	1999	2001	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Increased a lot	3	3	3	3	2	4	1	2
Increased a little	23	24	22	23	23	26	18	20
Stayed the same	32	33	27	37	39	32	45	38
Fallen a little	17	16	18	15	12	13	10	15
Fallen a lot	7	5	11	7	5	5	2	4
(Don't know)	19	19	19	16	20	20	23	22
Sample size	1482	1605	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

*The question wording in each year was:

1999 and 2001 "Thinking back to the UK general election in 1997"

2003 "Thinking back to the last Scottish election in 1999"

2004 onwards "since the (month of interview) (previous year)".

Table A.16: And what about the standard of public transport in Scotland? Has it increased or fallen since ( month of interview) 2008?

	%	%	%	%	%
	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Increased a lot	5	2	7	4	4
Increased a little	20	19	22	23	19
Stayed the same	41	36	34	38	41
Fallen a little	14	16	12	12	15
Fallen a lot	8	6	7	6	4
(Don't know)	13	21	18	17	18
(Not answered)	-	*	-	*	-
Sample size	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

Table A.17: Views on what standards in the health service in last 12 months are mainly the result of

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
	2001	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2009
Mainly the result of the UK government's policies at Westminster	53	38	42	39	32	34	23
Mainly the result of the Scottish Government/Executive's ² policies	11	21	20	23	25	23	30
For some other reason	16	17	18	14	18	17	21
(Both Westminster and Scottish Executive)	4	7	7	5	7	4	9
(Don't know)	8	8	9	9	10	13	9
(Not answered) ¹	7	8	5	10	8	10	8
Sample size	1605	1508	1637	1549	1594	1508	1482

Note:

In 1999 the follow-up question simply asked whether any differences were the result of the policies of the Labour government at Westminster therefore they are not reported here.

1 NB 'Not answered' includes those routed past this follow-up question because they answered 'don't know' when asked whether standards had increased or fallen in the last 12 months. However, they are included in the base here so that the figures are representative of the views of the population as a whole as to who is responsible for public service standards in the last 12 months.