National Indicator set definitions released

The definitions for the National Indicators have been released by the Department for Communities and Local Government.  Definitions are provided for the 198 National Indicators, 185 of which came into force on the 1st of April 2008.  Local Strategic Partnerships should by now know which indicators they will set as key improvement targets (up to 35) as part of their Local Area Agreements (LAAs).

The new national indicators will be the only means of measuring national priorities that have been set  by the Government.  For alcohol, the key indicators are as follows:

• NI 39 Alcohol-harm related hospital admission rates
• NI 41 Perceptions of drunk or rowdy behaviour as a problem
• NI 115 Substance misuse by young people

A further indicator is associated with alcohol:

• NI 20 Assault with injury crime rate

However alcohol factors into many of the other indicators, with at least another 50 having a direct link with alcohol misuse.  Local partnerships are urged to consider the role of alcohol within their LAAs and key improvement targets. 

For further information on LAAs and the new frameworks for Local Strategic Partnerships see this overview and Alcohol Concern's LAA Factsheet here.