Do local economic interests matter when regulating nationally significant infrastructure? The case of renewable energy infrastructure projects.

Government policy in the UK, as in many countries, sees investment in infrastructure projects - particularly large ones - as a key means of supporting the national economy. But where does this leave local economic interests in the loci of these projects? And how does the regulation of such projects handle these interests? These are the questions addressed by this paper in the context of renewable energy projects that are regulated by the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime. Drawing on original research into the regulation of 12 projects - and using thematic analysis of key documents and focus groups with local participants - the analysis highlights the limited understanding of the local economy presented, the challenges that local businesses face in participating and the partial protection offered to them.

Trends in adolescent emotional problems in England: a comparison of two national cohorts twenty years apart.

Background: Evidence about trends in adolescent emotional problems (depression and anxiety) is inconclusive, because few studies have used comparable measures and samples at different points in time. We compared rates of adolescent emotional problems in two nationally representative English samples of youth 20 years apart using identical symptom screens in each survey.

Methods: Nationally representative community samples of 16-17-year-olds living in England in 1986 and 2006 were compared.

An assessment of the construct validity of the descriptive system for the ICECAP capability measure for older people.

Background: The index of capability (ICECAP) was developed using in-depth interviews with 40 older people and comprises five attributes: attachment, security, enjoyment, role and control. This paper explores the construct validity of these five capability attributes.

Methods: An interview survey was conducted with individuals aged 65 and over located across the UK.

Valuing the ICECAP capability index for older people.

This paper reports the first application of the capabilities approach to the development and valuation of an instrument for use in the economic evaluation of health and social care interventions. The ICECAP index of capability for older people focuses on quality of life rather than health or other influences on quality of life, and is intended to be used in decision making across health and social care in the UK. The measure draws on previous qualitative work in which five conceptual attributes were developed: attachment, security, role, enjoyment and control.