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Treasury;Office for National Statistics

Answer

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average level of physical activity (a) including and (b) excluding walking was in each region for each year in which the General Household Survey has been published since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [197365] Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Don Foster, dated 11 November 2004: As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the average level of physical activity including and excluding walking in each region for each year in which the General Household Survey has been published since 1990. (197365) The General Household Survey, carried out by the Office for National Statistics, periodically publishes participation rates in at least one sport, game or physical activity (including and excluding walking). The latest available estimates are for the 2002 survey. The attached tables show participation rates in the 4 weeks before interview for: (a) Government Office Region, 2002; (b) Standard Region, 1996; Unfortunately, regional analyses for 1990 to 1993 are not readily available. In England, adults living in the North, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside regions were the least likely to have taken part in some sport or physical activity during the four weeks before interview (57%, 59% and 61% respectively) and those living in the South West, East Anglia or the two South East regions outside of London were the most likely to have participated (66%, 67%, 68% and 67% respectively). Adults living in Scotland also had high participation rates (66%) compared with England (64%) and Wales (63%). Scotland had the highest participation rate at 62% compared with 58% in England and 57% in Wales. In England, adults living in the South West were more likely than those in other regions to have participated in at least one activity excluding walking (50% compared with 37% to 46% for other regions in England). As with any sample survey, estimates from the General Household Survey are subject to sampling variability. Games and Physical activities: participation rates in the four weeks before interview by Standard Region 1996 1. Persons aged 16 and over Great Britain: 1996 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Percentages participating in the 4 weeks before interview At least one activity excluding At least one activity Unweighted sample walking base-100 per cent. North 41 57 966 Yorkshire and Humberside 43 61 1362 North West 47 63 1739 East Midlands 44 64 1182 West Midlands 42 59 1456 East Anglia 52 67 635 Greater London 45 62 1661 Outer Metropolitan Area 51 68 1518 Outer South East 49 67 1450 Total South East 48 66 4629 South West 46 66 1433 England 46 64 13402 Wales 42 63 842 Scotland 46 66 1452 Great Britain 46 64 15696 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Regional data are only available from the General Household Survey for 1996 and 2000 Source: General Household Survey Games and Physical activities: participation rates in the four weeks before interview by Government Office Region 20021 Persons aged 16 and over Great Britain: 1996 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Percentages participating in the 4 weeks before interview At least one activity At least one activity Weighted base Unweighted sample2 excluding walking (000s)=100 per cent. North East 37 55 2,005 695 North West 41 56 4,951 1770 Yorkshire and the Humber 41 56 3,693 1292 East Midlands 42 57 2,998 1106 West Midlands 39 54 3,737 1317 East of England 45 60 3,766 1316 London 44 55 5,179 1640 South East 46 63 6,025 2249 South East 50 65 3,713 1376 England 43 58 36,067 12841 Wales 40 57 2,083 756 Scotland 44 62 3,737 1222 Great Britain 43 59 41,887 14819 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Regional data are only available from the General Household Survey for 1996 and 2002 2 Weighting for non-response was introduced on the General Household Survey in 2000, in order to reduce non-response bias and improve the quality of data. For 2002 the weighted base (000's) shown is the base for percentages. Bases for earlier years are of similar size and can be found in GHS reports for each year. Source: General Household Survey

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c801-4W;426 c805-8W; 197365

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Economic regions Sports Take-up Walking Surveys Exercise

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk