§ Mr. Onslowasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the staff of his Department are engaged in the recruitment and training of interviewers for the Social Survey; how many applicants for this work have been trained, and at what cost; how long, on average, are the intervals between initial application and completion of training, and completion of training and start of work; and how many applicants have been found unsuitable after they have completed their training.
§ Mr. MacDermotInterviewers are recruited and trained by the staff of the Social Survey which is at present a Division of the Central Office of Information. Interviewers for the International Passenger Survey are dealt with separately from those for the general field programme of the Social Survey. The position in the year 1966 was as follows:
General Programme Passenger Survey Number of staff engaged in recruiting and training 2 full-time and 6 part-time 8 part-time Applicants 2,210* 898* Starting training 195 79 Completed training 84 51 * The majority of applicants are not selected for training as interviewers. Much training is done on the job in the course of fieldwork and cannot be costed separately. The salaries of staff engaged on training which can be distinguished was £6,300 for the general programme and £1,500 for the Passenger Survey.
In addition fees and expenses of trainee interviewers amounted to £3,700 in the case of the general programme trainees and £1,500 for Passenger Survey trainees.
The average interval between initial application and successful completion of training in respect of London and Home 178W Counties applicants is eight to nine weeks. A part of this time is devoted to taking up references. The average interval between completion of full training and start of work is very short. Twelve interviewers in all were found unsuitable during 1966 after they had completed training.