Understanding the English Devolution White Paper

Presented by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner, the English Devolution White Paper proposes a significant overhaul of the local government system in England. In this blog, we will explore how these proposals will change the current system, the implications of the white paper, as well as the mixed…

Geodata in 2025: Top trends to watch

The start of the new year provides a good opportunity to attempt to identify some of the trends and changes we can expect to see in the world of geographical data over the next 12 months. From deprivation data to AI, open data in the UK and in Europe, here are the data trends to…

Endometriosis by local authority

Using data from the 2011 Census linked to hospital records from 2011 to 2021, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of women diagnosed with endometriosis in NHS hospitals across England. Endometriosis, a chronic gynaecological condition, is estimated to have a 2% prevalence among reproductive age women. Whilst…

School suspensions and permanent exclusions

In the autumn term of 2023/24, state-funded schools in England recorded 346,279 suspensions, according to the Department for Education. This is a significant increase from the 247,366 suspensions reported the previous year, and nearly double the number recorded in autumn 2019. Primary schools saw the highest rise in suspensions, increasing by 41%. Permanent exclusions also…

Working with deprivation data

Deprivation is often associated with a wide range of health and social issues within the communities it impacts. Whether it’s the increased incidence of certain medical conditions, or higher crime and anti-social behaviour rates, understanding how issues interact with and are caused by deprivation is an important component in developing policy led solutions. For this…

Public data insights: October 2024 – Nature conservation, fire statistics and underage smoking

Welcome to the latest edition of Public Data Insights, our monthly summary of the latest data and statistical releases from various government departments and public bodies, all with a focus on sub-national insights. With a wealth of statistics available from government sources, there are many opportunities to leverage this data to communicate key issues to…

Private Rental Affordability

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released new data on private rental affordability in England and Wales, revealing that less than 70% of local authorities had a median rent considered “affordable” for the financial year ending March 2023. Private renters in England spent 34.2% of their income on rent, compared to 27.2% in Wales.…

Sourcing data for geo-advocacy

Creating engaging and compelling maps is only possible with reliable, accurate data. Whilst getting started may seem daunting, sourcing data is much easier than you may think. Whether it be enhancing your own data, using publicly available data or doing some research, there is a wealth of data out there ready to be tapped into.…