§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for Transport when the report on the 1978–79 national travel survey will be published; whether he is taking steps to assemble more up-to-date information; why no survey for 1981–82 is to be carried out; what the saving to public funds will be; if he is satisfied that these savings outweigh any benefits from up-to-date information on travel habits; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FowlerI expect that the 1978–79 national travel survey report will be published in about 12 months' time. However, as announced last month inStatistical News No 52, 1978–9 tabulations can now be bought from the Department.
Previous national travel surveys were held in 1965—supplemented in 1966–1972–73, 1975–76, and 1978–79. The three-year intervals in the 1970s reflected particular policy needs in those years, rather than an assessment that three years would always be appropriate. I will consider whether the benefits from a further survey would outweigh its costs when results from that held in 1978–79 have been evaluated.
A national travel survey of similar size and scope to those held in 1975–76 and 1978–79 would cost some £400,000. Holding surveys at, say, five-year intervals rather than three-year intervals would save some £50,000 per year on average.