§ 28. Mr. Costainasked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many forms are in use by his Department; how many staff are involved in compiling and distributing them; and what administrative arrangements his Department has with the Board of Trade to avoid duplication.
§ Mr. MellishI assume that the hon. Member's Question relates to forms issued for statistical purposes.
775 In 1967, eight types of form requesting information were sent to construction firms, 20 to manufacturers of building materials, and five to the public sector. The equivalent of 74 full-time staff were involved in compiling and distributing these forms. Officers of my Department discuss with those of the Board of Trade the coverage of inquiries, and there is also systematic co-ordination under the auspices of the Central Statistical Office.
§ Mr. CostainDoes not the Minister realise that, if he has a number of staff preparing these forms, builders must have large numbers of staff for filling them in? What criteria does the right hon. Gentleman have regarding the time allowed for the return of these forms, and would he not get them used with more enthusiasm if he gave a better excuse for issuing them?
§ Mr. MellishI say at once that I consider that there are too many forms and people are being asked for too much information. The more co-ordination we have on this, and the sooner we have it, the better. However, having said that, I must remind the hon. Gentleman that his industry, perhaps more than any other in the country, is anxious to have information, and the only way to get information is to ask people for it.