§ Mr. David Huntasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wirral on 19th November 1976, if 706W he will place in the Library a copy of each of the questionnaires being used in the 163 regular or continuing surveys being carried out by his Department and associated bodies in the current year and in the 84 once-only surveys; and, as he cannot calculate the cost, what steps he is taking to control expenditure on these surveys.
§ Mr. John SilkinYes. I am having copies assembled and will arrange for them to be placed in the Library shortly. My Department keeps a close watch on the need for statistical and related surveys and on the manner in which they are carried out. It has been a standing instruction since 1972 that all proposals for new surveys should be reported to the Survey Control Unit of the Central Statistical Office who, together with my own officers, seek ways of economising in departmental costs and of reducing the burden of form filling on respondents.