§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what reductions have taken place in the statistical services available to his Department; what statistics previously available will either (a) no longer be available or (b) be available in a modified form; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Fowler[pursuant to his reply, 29 June 1981]: My Department has been reviewing its statistical returns in order to eliminate collection of unnecessary information. As a consequence, some surveys have been discontinued or reduced in frequency, and the number of respondents has also been reduced. Staff costs in the statistics directorate have been reduced by some £180,000 per annum.
365WDetails of reductions in statistical activities are given in my decision statement on recommendations 78 to 115 of the report by the review officer who examined my Department as part of Sir Derek Rayner's review of Government statistical services. Copies of the statement are available in the Library of the House. Surveys not covered by the review have also been affected as part of the Department's continuing examination of its statistical needs.
The following regular or periodic surveys have been curtailed or modified:
Regular Surveys Recommendation Decision National traffic censuses 78–9 Five censuses reduced to two. Automatic counting Continuing Survey of Road Goods Transport 111–113 Reduction in sample size Ports Statistics 110 Reduction in data-collection planned Long-distance Travel Study 100 Discontinued Periodic Surveys Regional Highway Traffic Model 81 1981 surveys cancelled National Travel Survey 101 Recommendation for 1982 survey rejected Urban Congestion Studies 104–106 Discontinued National Speed Survey * 1981 survey cancelled * Not covered by the Rayner review. I am satisfied that these reductions will not eliminate any of the essential statistics required by the Government.