INNOVATION AND ICT REFERENCE GROUPS - RECENT MEETINGS
BUSINESS LONGITUDINAL DATABASE (BLD) AND ASSOCIATED CONFIDENTIALISED UNIT RECORD FILE (CURF)
HOUSEHOLD USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (HUIT) UPDATE
CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING 2011
OTHER ABS STATISTICS RELATING TO ICT, R&D AND INNOVATION


INNOVATION AND ICT REFERENCE GROUPS

The Innovation and ICT reference groups are expected to meet again by April 2012. The ABS is currently reconsidering the format of the reference groups and how they are used to define and set objectives for the Innovation and Technology Branch. Potential changes to the format of the reference groups will be a topic for discussion at the meetings in April. Further news of these developments will be made via this Newsletter and through contact with current reference group members.

BUSINESS LONGITUDINAL DATABASE (BLD), AND ASSOCIATED CONFIDENTIALISED UNIT RECORD FILE (CURF)

The Business Longitudinal Database (BLD) is a valuable resource that allows analysts to monitor and evaluate the impacts of policies and industry trends at the individual business level. The BLD contains a range of data (both financial and characteristic) for small and medium businesses in Australia over a five year period. The BLD complements the large range of ABS macro-economic outputs and meets very strong demand from government, academics and private users for micro-economic data. It will increase understanding of:

• The activities or factors that are relevant to business performance; and
• The business characteristics that are associated with these activities or factors.

The BLD is made available as a CURF released with approval of the Australian Statistician. The 2004-05 to 2009-10 BLD CURF, released 21 December 2011, is accessible through the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL).

This most recent BLD CURF comprises two independent samples (referred to as panels) drawn from the in-scope Australian business population. Panel One contains five reference periods of data (2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09) for 2,732 businesses. Panel Two also contains five reference periods of data (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10) for 3,432 businesses.

For further information, please contact Helen Reich, Assistant Director, Innovation and Technology Statistics Branch on (08) 9360 5148.
HOUSEHOLD USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (HUIT) UPDATE

The publication Household Use of Information Technology (HUIT) 2010-11 was released on 15 December 2011. The data for the HUIT 2010-11 release were collected from two surveys: the Multi-Purpose Household Survey (MPHS) 2010-11 and the Survey of Disability Ageing and Carers (SDAC) 2009. Most of the findings in the publication were from the MPHS and cover Australian persons aged 15 years and over. The SDAC statistics in the publication relate to two specific groups: persons with a disability and older persons (people aged 60 years and over).

The 2010-11 HUIT was supplemented by additional funding from the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) to increase content and sample size. The funding enabled the ABS to collect a broader range of questions relating to internet use and release data at a finer geographic level than would have been possible with ABS resources for HUIT.

CENSUS OF HOUSING AND POPULATION 2011

The Census of Population and Housing aims to accurately count the number of people in Australia, their key characteristics, and the dwellings in which they live. It is conducted by the ABS once every five years. During the Census every household and person in the country are required to answer specific questions on the paper form or through the eCensus online.

The 16th Census of Population and Housing took place on the night of Tuesday 9 August 2011. The 2011 Census also marks a significant milestone - 100 years of national Census taking in Australia. The Census underpins Australia's democracy and is crucial to communities, private institutions and all levels of government when planning infrastructure, community services and facilities.

As per 2001 and 2006, the 2011 Census asks whether the Internet can be accessed from the dwelling. Results from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing will be progressively released from June 2012. Plans for a release using 2011 Census of Population and Housing related to internet use will be notified to users via this Newsletter and more broadly, via the ABS website.


OTHER ABS STATISTICS RELATING TO ICT, R&D AND INNOVATION

As well as the key releases produced by the ABS' Innovation and Technology Statistics Branch, the following products could also be of interest:

• Year Book Australia (cat. no. 1301.0): provides a comprehensive overview of economic and social conditions of contemporary Australia. It is a statistically-oriented publication with sufficient background information to establish a context for the statistics and to assist in understanding and interpreting them. The 2011-12 version will be released on the 24 May 2012, and contains a chapter on research and innovation, and information, communication and technology (ICT).
• Australian Social Trends (cat. no. 4102.0): draws on a wide range of data, sourced both from ABS and other agencies, to present a picture of Australian society. This publication aims to inform decision-making, research and discussion on social conditions in Australia and was released on 21 September 2011. It contains some information on how the internet can be used to help unemployed persons find work.
• Disability, Australia (cat. no. 4446.0): this publication presents summary results relating to people with disabilities from the 2009 Survey of Disability Ageing and Carers (SDAC). The primary objective of the survey was to collect information about three population groups: people with disabilities; older people, that is those aged 60 years and over; and, people who provide assistance to older people and people with disabilities. This release includes a chapter on computer access and internet use.
• Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results (cat. no. 6530.0): presents a summary of the results from the 2009-10 Household Expenditure Survey (HES), which was a subsample of the households comprising the 2009-10 Survey of Income and Housing (SIH). The HES collected information on the expenditure, income, net worth and other characteristics of households resident in private dwellings throughout Australia. Includes information relating to internet charges and household expenditure.