§ Mr. David Huntasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many surveys and census activities have been carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in 1976, 1977 and 1978 to date, specifying the purpose of each survey and its cost, and placing a
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Cost $'000 Surveys On behalf of 1976 1977 1978* General Household Survey: to meet the needs of eight Departments for information about social and economic circumstances and use of public services Cabinet Office 444 491 142 Consumer Buying Intentions: to monitor changes in attitude to economic events and in buying behaviour Cabinet Office (for EEC) 52 55 15 Social Indicators: to obtain information about aspects of housing and health and individuals' assessment of them Cabinet Office (for EEC) — 21 — each of the last three years; to how many next of kin of the deceased; and what is the level of take-up of this benefit.
§ Mr. DeakinsThe total sum paid out in death grant for each of the last three years was:
£ million 1975 1 1976 15 1977 15 I regret that there are no figures available of the number of death grants paid to next of kin.
The level of death grant up to 1976, the latest date for which figures are available, was as follows:
copy of each of the survey forms and questionnaires used in the Library.
§ Mr. Deakins, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 12th April 1978], gave the following information:
The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys carried out the following surveys and census activities in 1976, 1977 and 1978 to date:
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Patients Attitudes to the Hospital Service: to discover the experiences and opinions of users of the hospital service Royal Commission on the National Health Service — 81 — Smoking Habits: effect of anti-smoking campaigns Department of Health and Social Security 7 9 — Needs of the Elderly: to make better use of resources for the elderly Department of Health and Social Security 60 — — Care of the Mentally Handicapped: Staffing requirements for this service Department of Health and Social Security 30 — — Retirement Survey: to examine changing patterns of work and retirement and the factors which influence people to retire or continue to work Department of Health and Social Security (and Department of Employment) 19 58 — Surgical Footwear: to study whether there are problems in the supply and fit Department of Health and Social Security 43 — — Access to Primary Health Care: to examine the accessibility of a number of primary health care services Department of Health and Social Security — 116 — International Passenger Survey: continuing study of passengers to and from United Kingdom by scheduled air and sea routes to provide data for annual estimates of balance of payments and of migration Department of Industry 514 493 133 Drinking in Scotland: to measure effects of legislation Scottish Office 25 32 — Clackmannan Study of the Elderly: to make better use of resources for the elderly Scottish Office 17 — — Family Formation: to examine changing patterns of fertility in United Kingdom OPCS 160 — — Census studies designed to test questions and procedures for the 1981 Census OPCS 59 143 — Electoral Register Survey: to explore aspects of the feasibility of extending the electoral registration canvass to provide annual population information at local authority level OPCS — 65 — One Per Cent Study: to assess technical problems of a 1 per cent. continuous household survey to give information on population characteristics OPCS — 76 — Protective Legislation: to examine the attitudes of women towards working shifts of the kind prohibited for women by the Factories Acts Equal Opportunities Commission — 63 — * The figures for 1978 give the cost incurred so far. To avoid double counting, this list omits those surveys carried out on behalf of other Departments that are taken into account in the replies to similar Questions put to the responsible Secretary of State or Minister. In addition, small feasibility studies to test survey methods have been excluded from this list. As well as the census tests listed above, the Office was engaged throughout the period on the analysis of previous censuses of population and, increasingly, the planning of the next census.
402WAs work is completed upon these questionnaires they will, be placed in the Library.