What's Worrying Britain? A Scottish Perspective

What's Worrying Britain - Five Years On - GB press release

Broadcast quality footage and print quality stills available from: Alan Smart, Head of Broadcasting, 0131-348 5148

The Scottish public ranks the health service, unemployment and law and order issues as its greatest concerns, in line with the rest of Great Britain¹, according to a new MORI poll commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 13 European countries.

The survey 'What's Worrying Britain?' launched today (June 21) in the Scottish Parliament by UK reproductive health agencies Population Concern and Marie Stopes International, also reveals that Scots have a higher level of concern about drug abuse (23%) than their British or European neighbours (11% and 18% respectively).

The research is part of the ongoing European 'face-to-face' campaign, jointly sponsored by UNFPA and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) to raise public awareness about sexual and reproductive health issues world-wide. In the UK the campaign has seen the recruitment of Geri Halliwell and Magenta Devine as UNFPA Goodwill Ambassadors, a national schools' essay writing competition and a commemorative balloon release in 1999, to mark world population reaching six billion people.

Key domestic findings from the MORI poll in Scotland were:

• Health, unemployment and law and order are key concerns for the Scottish public (29%, 28% and 27% respectively), and broadly in line with findings across the rest of Great Britain
• In contrast with Great Britain as a whole, concern about drug abuse is significantly higher in Scotland at 23%, compared to 11%
• Similarly, concern about poverty and homelessness is greater in Scotland at 17% than in Great Britain generally (9%)
• Conversely, worry about race relations is lower in Scotland, at 10% than across Great Britain as a whole (19%)

Scots' international concerns were:

• Poverty (43%, higher than the Great Britain figure of 29%)
• Environmental issues (21% compared to 33% across the whole of Great Britain)

A series of separate questions relating to reproductive health show that support for access by the Scots to reproductive health services is broadly in line with Great Britain. However, support among the Scots for similar services being made available in the developing world tends to be lower, including sex education in schools, contraception for teenagers, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and advice on avoiding teenage pregnancy².

HIV/AIDS is mentioned by half of Scottish respondents as a major problem in the developing world, and around two-thirds would like their Government to fund education programmes about HIV/AIDS and safer sex. These findings are consistent with results across the entire Great Britain sample.

Scots believe foreign aid represents around 10% of Government expenditure (compared to 9% across the whole of Great Britain). In fact the actual amount in 1999 was just 0.7%. When told this, 57% of Scottish respondents believed this to be too little, 36% felt it was about right and 4% too much, generally in line with the full Great Britain sample.

This finding was particularly welcomed by the participating agencies.

"The British public is clearly committed to overseas aid and it is significant and encouraging that most would like to see the percentage increased," said Patricia Hindmarsh, Marie Stopes International's Director of External Relations.

"The findings show that Britons are aware of the global threat of HIV/AIDS. The support for extra funding for education and preventive programmes is plainly endorsed by the survey," added Ros Davies, Chief Executive of Population Concern.

Commenting on the launch, George Reid, MSP, Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and Convener of the All-Party International Development Group, which hosted the event, said: "This is an important study on European, British and Scottish attitudes. I am delighted that the UN has chosen to launch it in the world's newest parliament in Edinburgh."

Launch to be held at: Committee Room 1, The Scottish Parliament.21 June 2001 at 12.45pm.Please bring your invitation with you for entry.

Endnotes:

1. The question asked (Q1) was 'What would you say were the two or three problems facing Britain today? (Unprompted). In MORI's monthly tracking work for The Times health and education are the top concerns. This can be explained by the differences in question wording. The following questions are asked for The Times: 'What would you say is the most important issue facing Britain today?' and 'What do you see as other important issues facing Britain today?
2. UNFPA's definition of reproductive health services is: the combination of contraceptive advice or education, sterilisation for both sexes, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, and advice on ante and post-natal services. The following form UNFPA's basic concerns: reproductive health and rights, teenage pregnancy/sexual activity, violence against women, gender/sex inequality/women's rights, abortion and HIV/AIDS.

Technical details

In Scotland, MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 100 adult's aged 16+ from 1- 5 February 2001. All interviews were conducted face-to-face in-home. A total of 1,086 adults were interviewed for the Great Britain sample.

MORI also co-ordinated surveys of a similar magnitude in the other 12 countries covered by this research. The total sample size (inc. GB) is 13,350 adults in Europe.

This study is a repeat of one conducted in 1996 covering the same European countries. A full summary of the British results is attached, showing comparisons with 1996 as well as the 13 country averages.