Society, Education and Health

The United Kingdom has a rich and diverse society. Increased life expectancy and lower fertility rates have led to an ageing population, while immigration has led to ethnic diversity. The standard of living has risen, and although some people and communities are still affected by poverty and social exclusion the UK has an extensive network of social protection.

Religion

Everyone in the United Kingdom has a legal right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Religious organisations and groups may conduct their rites and ceremonies, promote their beliefs within the limits of the law, own property, and run schools and a range of other charitable activities. Although predominantly Christian, most world religions are represented in the United Kingdom. In particular there are large Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish communities. A colour brochure on religion in the UK is available here.

Culture

Culture in the United Kingdom is rich and diverse, with a strong tradition of literature, theatre, popular and orchestral music and the performing arts. These, together with collections in UK museums and galleries, act as a magnet for overseas visitors and make a substantial contribution to  the economy. According to economic estimates made by the Department for Culture,Media and Sport (DCMS), the creative industries accounted for nearly 8 per cent of UK gross domestic product in 2000, and provided nearly 2 million jobs in December 2001. Colour brochures are available here on various aspects of UK culture, including the arts, architecture, dance, the visual arts, and CAN NOT FIND FILE 2003328:/uploadedFiles/About_the_UK/Literature%20&%20Poetry.pdfliterature and poetry.

\'We celebrate the diversity in our country, get strength from the cultures and the races that go to make up Britain today.\' (Prime Minister Tony Blair, 2 October 2001).

Ethnic diversity has enriched British society. The different communities have helped build today\'s vibrant Britain and contributed to its economic, social, democratic and cultural development.

British Governments have taken - and continue to take - steps to tackle problems of discrimination and disadvantage through pioneering race relations legislation which makes racial discrimination an unacceptable, and illegal, practice, and through policy to redress disadvantage.

Since the first legislation was introduced over 30 years ago, the emphasis has shifted from immigration and the issues concerned connected with new settlers to focusing on the needs and contribution of British-born minority ethnic communities. These communities are part of the mainstream of British life. This ethnic diversity, with its range of and unique mix of cultural identities and heritages, defines and adds value to contemporary Britain. For example, the Muslim communities in Britain make a vital and vibrant contribution to every aspect of life from sports and the arts to business and even politics.

Education

Parents are required by law to ensure that their children receive full-time education between the ages of five and 16 in Great Britain and between four and 16 in Northern Ireland. About three-quarters of young people in the United Kingdom choose to stay in full-time education after this age, either in school or further education colleges. About a third of all young people enter universities or other institutions of higher education. Increasing emphasis is being placed on lifelong learning as a way of creating skills and improving employment prospects in a changing labour market.

Schools

About 94 per cent of pupils in the United Kingdom receive free education paid for from public funds, while 6 per cent attend independent fee-paying schools. State chools in England and Wales are maintained by local education authorities (LEAs). With a few exceptions, this is also the position in Scotland. In Northern Ireland five education and library boards fund all controlled and maintained schools and the Department of Education funds voluntary grammar and grant-maintained integrated schools. FE colleges in the United Kingdom are legally independent institutions with independent governing bodies that include nominations from the local community and businesses. Universities and higher education colleges are legally independent corporate institutions with individual governing bodies. Large numbers of people from other countries come to the United Kingdom to study, and many British people work and train overseas. The British Council encourages links between educational institutions in the United Kingdom and developing countries.

Social Protection

Social protection refers to support provided to those who are in need or at risk by central government, local authorities, private bodies, voluntary organisations and individuals. Help may be provided to children and families; older people and survivors (such as widows those who are sick, physically disabled or sensorily impaired; people with learning disabilities or mental health problems; and low earners and the unemployed. The Government principally provides  social protection through the social security system and health and personal social services. The social security system is designed to secure a basic standard of living for people in financial need. It provides income during periods of inability to earn (including periods of sickness and unemployment), pensions for retired people, financial help for low-income families and assistance with costs arising from disablement. The provision of these benefits is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in Great Britain (principally through the Jobcentre Plus network and the Pension Service) and the Social Security Agency of the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland. The Inland Revenue administers tax credits.

Personal social services refers to the assessment for and provision of practical help and support for older people, disabled people, vulnerable children and young people, those with mental health problems or learning disabilities, and their families and carers. These services may be residential, day care, short-break or \'domiciliary\' (provided for people needing support to live in their own homes). In certain circumstances, direct cash payments may be made to enable individuals to obtain relevant services for themselves. In Great Britain, these personal social services are provided or commissioned by certain local authorities and by the voluntary and not-for-profit sectors. The social services departments of local authorities are responsible for ensuring the direct provision or commissioning of services and for ensuring that people receive a high-quality service, regardless of the provider. In Northern Ireland services are provided by Health and Social Services (HSS) Trusts.

Central government is responsible for establishing national policies, securing resources, issuing guidance and overseeing standards. The Commission for Social Care Inspection, which is due to become fully operational after April 2004, will inspect all aspects of personal  social services in England. Various voluntary and charitable organisations also offer care, assistance and support to vulnerable members of society. Examples include Help the Aged, which campaigns, researches and develops practical solutions to problems that affect older people; Barnardo\'s, which helps children to deal with problems like abuse,  homelessness and poverty, and to tackle the challenges of disability; and the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), which campaigns, funds research and offers practical support and advice to anyone with a sight problem. Citizens Advice offer free, confidential, impartial and independent advice on many social issues including benefits, housing, debt, legal matters, employment and immigration. A colour brochure is available on UK health and social welfare services.

Expenditure

Average UK social protection expenditure per head was £3,683 in 2000, similar to the EU average. These figures include central and local government expenditure on social security and personal social services, sick pay paid by employers, payments made from occupational and personal pension schemes, and administration costs, but they exclude most tax credits. They are expressed in Purchasing Power Parities (which take account of the general level of prices within each country) in order to allow direct comparisons. As well as different levels of expenditure in the countries of the EU, the figures reflect differences in demographic structures, unemployment rates and other social, institutional and economic factors. Social security is the largest single area of UK government spending, constituting £115 billion in 2002/03 - 27.5 per cent of total managed expenditure. The majority of this expenditure is for older people (£57 billion). In 2001/02 gross expenditure on personal social services by local authorities was £13.6 billion in England. Expenditure on older people accounted for 45 per cent of the total and expenditure on children accounted for 23 per cent. In Scotland expenditure on social work services was £1.8 billion. Local authorities in Wales spent £747 million.

The social security system

Benefits can be grouped into four types:

• contributory, paid to people who have made the required contributions to the National Insurance Fund;
• means-tested, available to people whose income and savings are below certain levels;
• benefits which are neither means-tested nor contributory, mainly paid to offset extra costs, for example of disability, or paid universally, for example Child Benefit; and
• payments made by employers to employees who are sick, expecting a baby or adopting a child (these payments are based on earnings and the terms and conditions of employment).

Most benefits are increased annually in line with percentage increases in retail prices.  From April 2003 the Government began paying benefits, state pensions and war pensions directly into an account at a bank, building society or Post Office.

National Insurance contributions (NICs)

With the exception of a small National Health Service (NHS) allocation, all NICs are paid into the National Insurance Fund. All contributory benefits and their administrative costs are paid out of the Fund. Entitlement to many benefits, for example the State Retirement Pension, Incapacity Benefit and contributory Jobseeker\'s Allowance, is dependent upon the payment of NICs or the award of credits. Employees and the self-employed aged under 65, and employers, are all liable to pay contributions once an individual\'s earnings exceed a certain amount.Where an employer operates a final salary pension scheme, the employee and his or her employer pay a reduced rate of contribution to offset the cost of the contribution to the pension. The current NIC rates are set out on the Inland Revenue website (www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/rates). Self-employed people pay lower NICs than employees but receive fewer benefits; in particular, they do not receive the State Second Pension.

Health

Over the past century major social and economic trends such as improvements in nutrition and housing, advances in medicine and technology, and the development of health services that are freely available to all, have led to significant improvements in the nation\'s health. The substantial increase in life expectancy provides one of the best indicators of this. In 1901 boys born in the United Kingdom could expect to live to around 45 years of age and girls to around 49. By 2001 life expectancy at birth had increased to over 75 and 80 years respectively.Within the United Kingdom, in the period 1999 to 2001, life expectancy at birth was highest in England at 76 years for males and 80 years for females, and lowest in Scotland at 73 for males and 79 for females. Declines in infant mortality have contributed greatly to these improvements. In 1921, 84.0 children per 1,000 live births in the United Kingdom died before the age of one; by 2001 the rate was 5.5. Within the United Kingdom in 2001, England had the lowest infant mortality rate at 5.4 infants per 1,000 live births and Northern Ireland the highest at 6.1.

The National Health Service

The National Health Service (NHS)  was created in 1948 to provide healthcare for the UK resident population, based on need, not the ability to pay. It is made up of a wide range of health professionals, support workers and organisations. The service is funded by the taxpayer and is accountable to Parliament. All taxpayers, employers and employees contribute to the cost, so that members of the community who do not require healthcare help to pay for those who do. Most forms of treatment are provided free, but others such as prescription drugs, eye tests and dentistry may incur a charge. In England the NHS is managed by the Department of Health, which is responsible for developing and implementing policies and for the regulation and inspection of health services. The devolved administrations have similar responsibilities in other parts of the United Kingdom.