July 16, 2005

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - British adults are equally worried about criminal activity and their National Health Service (NHS), according to a poll by YouGov published in the Daily Telegraph. 52 per cent of respondents believe crime and medical services are the most important issues facing their country.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - British adults are equally worried about criminal activity and their National Health Service (NHS), according to a poll by YouGov published in the Daily Telegraph. 52 per cent of respondents believe crime and medical services are the most important issues facing their country.

In 1999, Britain's Home Office introduced the anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), which are meant to counter unruly conduct by banning people from specific activities or areas. Breaching an order is a criminal offence. In May, British prime minister Tony Blair openly supported new regulations to deal with shoplifters and petty criminals, saying, "It is time to reclaim the streets for the decent majority. People are rightly fed up with street-corner and shopping centre thugs (and) binge drinking that makes our town centres no-go areas for respectable citizens."

On Jul. 7, four blasts in London killed at least 53 people and injured 700 more. Investigators say three British nationals of Pakistani descent and a Jamaican-born man were responsible for the explosions at three underground stations and a double-decker bus. Authorities believe the event was a coordinated suicide bombing, the first to ever occur in Western Europe.

Last year, home secretary David Blunkett strongly campaigned in favour of the national identity card system. The plan contemplates setting up a database that would contain the fingerprints and/or eye scan of every single person in Britain. The government estimates that the full implementation of the plan will cost $10.5 billion U.S. over the next 10 years.

Last February, the Labour government announced a $250 billion U.S. investment in the NHS. The strategy increases the average funding per person from $1,685 U.S. in 2002, to $2,579 U.S. in 2008. Health secretary John Reid vowed to ensure "that the most deprived areas, where there are appalling inequalities in life expectancy and concentrated problems of disease such as lung cancer or heart disease, receive extra investment." After May's election to the House of Commons, Patricia Hewitt took over as Britain's health secretary.

Immigration and asylum, and Iraq and the war on terrorism are next on the list of concerns with 47 per cent, followed by pensions and poverty, global warming and European Union (EU) issues.

Polling Data

Which of these issues do you think are the most important facing this country?
(Up to four answers allowed)

	Jul. 2005	Oct. 2004
Crime / Law and Order / Police	52%	49%
Health / NHS / Hospitals	52%	53%
Immigration / Asylum	47%	52%
Iraq / War on terrorism	47%	40%
Pensions / Social Security / Minimum wage / Poverty in Britain	39%	54%
The environment / Pollution / Global warming	27%	18%
Europe / EU Constitution / The Euro	18%	21%
Income tax / VAT / National Insurance / Council Tax	17%	22%
Transport / Bus and train fares / Roads	17%	15%
Economic growth / Jobs / Unemployment	14%	9%
Housing / House prices / Interest rates	14%	19%
Prices / Inflation / Cost of living	13%	18%
Child care / Nurseries / Schools / Universities	11%	11%
International development / Poverty	9%	3%
Countryside / Farming / GM crops / Fox-hunting	4%	3%
Northern Ireland	1%	1%
Don't know	1%	1%

Source: YouGov / Daily Telegraph
Methodology: Online interviews to 1,854 British adults, conducted on Jul. 8, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.