§ Mr. Allasonasked the Lord President of the Council what was the total cost in its first year of the General Household Survey based on 15,000 interviews being carried out by the Government; and whether he is satisfied that this cost does not compare unfavourably with prices charged by commercial market research organisations for similar work.
§ Sir K. JosephI have been asked to reply.
The cost of the General Household Survey for the 12 months October, 1970-September, 1971, was £154,000. No similar survey has been undertaken by a market research organisation in this country and it is therefore not possible to compare costs directly. But bearing in mind the terms of reference and the conditions necessary to obtain satisfactory results from such a survey, I have no reason to think that the costs are any higher than those which any other survey organisation would incur.