The purpose of this book is to examine the scale and significance of the local dimensions of these developments and the implications for central government complementing the existing literature, which focuses almost entirely on the overall national picture. It contains a set of ten original studies which demonstrate the existence of marked geographical variations in population profiles and trends and highlight the main implications and responses. The focus is primarily on those policy areas where there needs to be a local-scale mechanism for decision-making and implementation, such as education, labour recruitment, housebuilding needs, social services and health care.