HC Deb 08 October 1941 vol 374 cc963-6
15. Mr. Mander

asked the Minister of Information what is the present position with regard to the control of personnel of the War-time Social Survey set up under the auspices of the National Institute of Social and Economic Research; why this institute withdrew its support in September, 1940; why the then Director of Home Intelligence, who had built up the Survey, resigned in April, 1941, and was replaced in the directions of the Survey by an official associated with a body whose methods, purpose and standing were quite different; and why, then, all but two of a staff of 24 resigned, left or refused reappointment?

17. Professor A. V. Hill

asked the Minister of Information what is the number of persons at present employed in the various categories of the War-time Social Survey; on whose advice were they selected; what are their respective qualifications; and on what work are they now engaged?

The Minister of Information (Mr. Brendan Bracken)

The personnel of the War-time Social Survey numbers 29, including clerical staff. They work under the general supervision of the Head of the Home Intelligence Branch of the Ministry of Information. As the qualifications of the individual officers are necessarily detailed I will, with my hon. Friends' permission, circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The support given to the Survey by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research was withdrawn because the then director of the Home Intelligence Division proposed to extend the Survey beyond what the National Institute regarded as its scope. The resignation of the then Director of the Home Intelligence Division was a consequence of the amalgamation of this division with another to form a single home division under a new director. Certain members of the staff of the Survey resigned because they were dissatisfied with the directions given by the Ministry concerning their work. The Survey is now engaged on various investigations for the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Food and the Board of Trade.

Mr. Mander

Is the Minister satisfied that this body continues to exist independently of the Ministry of Information, and is satisfactory from that point of view?

Sir A. Knox

Is it not the case that many duties have been stuck on to the Ministry of Information in addition to its real duty of foreign propaganda?

Mr. Bracken

We are, of course, beasts of burden, and we can carry the burden very well.

Following is the information:

The Superintendent is a Bachelor of Commerce, with Honours, London University, with five years of practical market and social research experience. For the past two years he has been intensively engaged on B.B.C. Listener Research work.

The Senior Editor is a Bachelor of Science, with Honours, London University. He was formerly Survey Officer to the Tyneside Council of Social Service, a research worker at St. Andrew's University, a co-operator with Mr. Seebohm Rowntree in his recently published Social Survey of York.

The Second Editor has had 12 years' experience of practical market research work, and was released from the Statistics Division of the Ministry of Supply to take up his present post.

The qualifications of the 20 Interviewers are various and include social service, market research, anthropology, journalism, teaching, hospital almoning, and statistics. They are all women, and were selected through the Central and Supplementary Registers, the University Appointments Boards, the National and London Councils of Social Service, and the Women's Employment Federation.

19. Sir Percy Hurd

asked the Minister of Information what matters have been inquired into in the past three months by the Social Survey and regional, or any other section, of his Ministry; what use has been made in these surveys of the local knowledge and experience available at the centre of the war effort through elected Members of Parliament and municipal bodies; and whether he will place copies of the resulting reports in the Library for the information of Members?

Mr. Bracken

During the past three months the War-time Social Survey has carried out inquiries for the Board of Trade about the rationing of clothes, the difficulties of clothes retailers, and the shortage of tobacco; for the Ministry of Food about the B.B.C.'s Kitchen Front broadcasts; and also about the public reaction to films produced by the Ministry of Information. Since the material collected by the Survey is entirely statistical they have not found occasion to consult Members of Parliament or any municipal bodies, but town clerks, medical officers of health, and other municipal officials have provided statistical assistance. In reply to the last part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given him on 18th June last.

Sir P. Hurd

Does my right hon. Friend consider it is really necessary to maintain this elaborate official organisation for this purpose? Could not the information be far better gathered through the responsible elected representatives of the people in this House and in municipal bodies?

Mr. Bracken

If the responsible elected representatives in this House were willing to travel round the country every day for at least eight hours a day, and if they had the qualifications as statisticians for this sort of work, we should be glad to economise by making use of them, but a large number of Members of Parliament are not in this country and cannot go to their constituencies owing to their being on active service.

Sir P. Hurd

Does not the Minister consider that, even as it is, the House of Commons is far more representative of the people than are these local regional committees?

Mr. Bracken

I was speaking in terms of statisticians and not of representatives.

Mr. Mander

Will not the Minister give an opportunity to Members of Parliament who are frequently in their constituencies to send in reports on the same lines as those provided by these people?

Mr. Bracken

I could not welcome anything more, because it would be a very good check on the work of our officers.

Miss Rathbone

Does not the Minister think that the opinions of elected Members of Parliament and municipal bodies might not be always impartial, especially when it was a question of points critical of themselves; and therefore, is not this body much more suitable?

Mr. Bracken

The hon. Member is treading upon delicate ground.