§ Mr. Hayhoeasked the Prime Minister what action he proposes to take on the recommendations of the Bolton Committee aimed at easing the burden of administrative form filling.
§ The Prime MinisterI have asked all Ministers to ensure that their Departments pay attention to easing the burden of form filling. In particular, I have asked that, when new forms are devised, special care should be taken to assess and take into account the expenditure of time and effort they will require of respondents—individuals as well as firms. I have asked also that Departments should from time to time examine afresh the cost, time, and effort involved in filling up existing forms.
The Bolton Committee's recommendations on the establishment of a central data bank raise issues of confidentiality of information, of the kind referred to by my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in his answer of 29th March.
The Government have since received the Report of the Younger Committee on Privacy and are considering the implications of this for central Government 219W activities. The Government do not propose to proceed with a central data bank at the present time. I have, however, asked Ministers to ensure that administrative information is available for statistical purposes where possible, and where the requirements of confidentiality can be met.
Finally. I have emphasised the need to make full use of the expertise of statisticians in devising the simplest and most effective means of collecting information for administrative as well as statistical purposes and in advising on the value for statistical purposes of information required for administration.