Raw APS data for disabled people in Scotland

You asked

​​I would like to make a freedom of information request for the following data from the Annual Population Survey 2018.

I was looking to know if you would be able to provide the raw survey data used to inform the disabled people - labour market Scotland publication.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/disabled-people-labour-market-scotland-2018/

I was wondering whether you would be able to provide the raw data for people in Scotland with a disability and include the following information: Employment Status, Type of Disability, Age Group and Gender.

We said

Thank you for your request.

It should be noted that ONS were not involved in the 'Disabled people in the labour market in Scotland' publication and the estimates contained within may differ from ONS estimates. We would suggest contacting the Scottish Government (LMStats@gov.scot) to find out more about their analysis.

Unfortunately, we would be unable to provide you with the raw Annual Population Survey (APS) data as they contain personal information and so are treated as confidential. However, you may be able to access the anonymised APS datasets at the UK Data Service. Data can be downloaded free of charge for non-commercial purposes but if charges are applicable, you will be notified during the ordering process. Details of how to access the data can be found via the following link: http://ukdataservice.ac.uk/get-data/how-to-access.aspx.

Some of the information you are interested in is available, in an aggregate form, via the Nomis website (https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/). This can be accessed as follows:

1. On the Nomis homepage, select 'Query data' under 'Data Downloads'.
2. Select 'Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey', then select 'Current' and then choose 'annual population survey (Dec 2004 to Jun 2020)'.
3. On the next page you can create your data extract by making appropriate selections from the 'Geography', 'Date', and 'Variable' filters. Within the 'Geography' filter you can choose Scotland from the 'countries' list.
4. Within the 'Variable' filter you can select the 'Disability (Equality Act) core level by economic activity (new)' category, which will allow you to choose from a variety of different economic activity, sex and disability status combinations. You can also select the 'Economic activity of those with health conditions or illnesses lasting more than 12 months' category, which will allow you to choose from different combinations of broad health condition type and economic activity.
5. Once you've made your selections you can download the data in the format of your choice.

If the data available on Nomis isn't detailed enough for your needs, the breakdowns you require could be created from the APS microdata as part of our bespoke service. Such a service would fall outside of the Freedom of Information regime and would be subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreement of costs where appropriate. If you would like to enquire about obtaining these estimates, please contact the customer services team of ONS's Social Surveys Division at socialsurveys@ons.gov.uk.