MATHS IN THE PAPERS November 2002

November weather
Statistics

November has been a very mild and wet month, the only exception being north-west Scotland, which received less than average rainfall.

80mm of rain fell overnight on the 13^th/14^th in Penzance, with severe flooding there and in St Ives. It was the wettest November for Northern Ireland since 1963.

www.met-office.gov.uk

19% of Britons are clinically obese.

3% of Japanese are clinically obese.

£114 can be saved on two peak-time train returns if a car is bought at auction, taxed, insured, filled with petrol and driven from London to Newcastle and back.

43% of driving test entrants passed their test in 2001.

A car is stolen somewhere in the world every ten seconds.

Observer magazine 3/11/02

Some local councils are claiming that they face losing millions of pounds in funding due to underestimation of population in government census figures. Westminster city council has called on the office of national statistics to launch a census recount. It says that many of the 31 local authorities where large drops in numbers have been found also share its concerns. Census figures released a month ago showed Westminster’s population 26% below previous estimates. As funding is issued on a per capita basis, the council could lose up to £40m. Westminster says its population is in the region of 231,000 rather than the ONS figure of 181,279.

The Guardian 5/11/02

Visitor numbers to UK destinations by overseas visitors are rising, although the recovery from last year’s slump is slow. UK holidaymakers have taken more trips abroad this year, but are becoming more adventurous and taking less package holidays. Overseas visits have risen by 10%, with a slump in package holidays of 4%. Travel from UK to North America is down 19%

The Guardian 9/11/02

The average Briton watches 24.5 hours of television per week.

22,739,999 votes were cast during the third UK Big Brother series.

25,960,000 votes were cast during the 2001 UK General Election.

Observer Magazine 10/11/02

The latest three monthly report from the CBI shows a lack of confidence in UK manufacturing in most regions. The report predicts job losses of 33,000 before the end of the year, bringing the annual total to 140,000. The only rise in the industry’s fortunes is in the East Midlands, with the sharpest fall in the South West, where transport and mechanical engineering are centred.

Ananova 12/11/02

NHS waiting lists in England have grown longer in the past year, according to official statistics. Inpatient and outpatient lists rose by 12,800 between September 2001 and September 2002. But the length of time spent on the waiting lists has dropped significantly. The number of people waiting more than 12 months for inpatient treatment is 27,400 less than last year.

The Independent 16/11/02

The Office for National Statistics has issued figures which shows that the number of internet connections in the UK has risen by 12.4% in the past year. Broadband connections made up 7.8% of total subscriptions for September 2002.

Ananova 18/11/02

According to statistics published earlier this month, older workers find it harder to get jobs. The number of unemployed workers between 50 and pension age has risen by more than 16% to 242,000. The government’s New Deal 50 plus has had an impact, finding jobs for more than 75,000 since April 2000, but this still leaves a large number of older workers out of a job.

The Guardian 23/11/02

More people search for better mortgage deals.
Finance

More people are looking for a better deal on mortgages, bank accounts and insurance. In the first nine months of 2002, 822,000 people remortgaged their homes in an attempt to find a better deal. This represents £58.7bn of borrowing.   This compares with 771,000 and £50bn for the whole of 2001. 1.5 million people have moved their bank accounts during the past year, with another 3 million considering a move.   One in three consumers now has more than one bank account, while 26% have two current accounts, suggesting that consumers are testing competing offers before committing themselves to a single bank.

The Independent 23/11/02

45% of Americans believe the world was created 8,000 years ago.

Charles Darwin held back on publication of his theory of evolution for 21 years, fearing that it would make Christians angry.

Observer magazine 24/11/02

1.54 billion text messages were sent in the UK in October 2002. The latest official figures from the Mobile Data Association repre3sents an all-time high. The average number of text messages sent daily is about 50 million, compared to 38 million in the same month last year.

Ananova 25/11/02

Women playing Scrooge at Christmas
Finance

A recent survey could indicate relationship problems this Christmas, as men are prepared to spend more on gifts than their female partners. The biggest spender on romantic gifts is expected to be male, aged 16-34, with a stable relationship of one or two years duration. Distance could lend enchantment, though, as this average male does not live with his partner.

The most miserly of romantic Christmas shoppers are married women, with no children, who have been in a relationship for more than 20 years. The survey, which was carried out for the RBS Advanta credit card company, shows that the longer people spend in a relationship, the less they spend on Christmas gifts.

Ananova 25/11/02

Ofsted is expected to highlight weaknesses in literacy and numeracy strategies in primary schools undermining the drive to raise attainment levels. A handful of schools are consistently turning out bad results in the national tests. The DfES is addressing the problem, along with support from 13 local education authorities, through use of a programme of intensive support.

The Guardian 26/11/02

Half of UK households in debt

According to recent research by the Department of Trade and Industry, 25% of households have suffered financial difficulties in the last year. Over 50% of households owed money on credit cards, loans or hire purchase agreements. Although most households had only one or two credit commitments, 7% had more than four and 5% spent at least a quarter of their gross income on repayments.  

The most common reasons for getting into financial difficulty are losing a job, setting up home and starting a family.

      Ananova 27/11/02

Unholy number
Statistics

Two vicars from Greater Manchester have been preached to by the DVLA before being allowed to purchase a number plate for their car which contained the numbers 666. The vicars, who are husband and wife, were told that 666 was the devil’s number. They paid £250 for the ‘Number of the Beast’ to amuse their congregation at Stockport United Reform Church.

Ananova 28/11/02

In Nashville, Tennessee, 500 people have each been given $100 bills. They are all members of church congregations in the area and have been instructed to use the money in the name of Jesus, for acts of kindness to others. This is the second year money has been given away under the Seeds of Kindness programme.

Ananova 29/11/02