§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement detailing any reduc- 106W tion or abolition in the collection or publication of statistics or reports by his Department since May 1979, indicating if such information is available from any other source; and what financial savings have been made by any such changes.
§ Mr. Heseltine:I and my Ministers have been reviewing all statistical returns to eliminate the collection of information no longer regarded as essential. As a result, a number of forms have been stopped or reduced in frequency and in others cuts have been made in the number of questions asked and sample sizes have been reduced. Some information will no longer be available or will be published less frequently.
It is estimated that in a full year the savings to the Department of cuts to date since May 1979 will exceed £½ million and that respondents will save about half that amount. The review of returns, and of the statistical services more widely, is still continuing.