HL Deb 07 June 1999 vol 601 cc130-1WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How visitor satisfaction over the Royal Parks is measured, how the visitors who rate the Royal Parks are chosen and by whom; what questions are put to them; how many visitors are interrogated and on what days of the year and in what weather; and what is "soft landscape presentation" for which the Royal Parks Agency is being required to maintain an average score of at least 85 per cent. compared with a score of 84 per cent. in 1998–99 [HL2612]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter to Lord Kennet from the Head of Policy of the Royal Parks Agency, Ms Viviane Robertson, dated 28 May 1999.

In the absence of the Chief Executive, David Welch, I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your parliamentary Question about how visitor surveys are carried in the Royal Parks.

The Royal Parks Agency has appointed a firm of contractors, WS Atkins, to carry out interviews with visitors to the Royal Parks to find out what their views are on a number of subjects. Each year visitors are asked to rate both the overall quality and the cleanliness of the parks. The results form two of the key targets set each year by the Secretary of State to measure the agency"s performance.

In addition, a number of different questions are asked each year based on issues that have arisen during the preceding 12 months or on subjects that are of particular relevance to park managers or the Royal Parks Constabulary. We also find out information about our visitors, for instance where they have come from and their reasons for visiting the parks.

Interviewers are stationed in a number of different areas in each park where visitors are most likely to he found. Visitors are chosen at random and approximately 500 are interviewed in each park, making a total of 4,500 per year. Interviews are carried out on between 11 and 20 days in two periods each year—March/April and July/August. The interviews are carried out in all but the wettest weathers, when the number of people visiting the parks would not justify the cost of employing the interviewers. A record is kept of the weather on the days that interviewing takes place.

The soft landscape quality is assessed twice a year by an independent horticultural expert in six categories: grass and tree management, ornamental beds, shrubberies, hedge and water features. It also includes an assessment of the overall presentation of each park. This is one of the ways of monitoring the work undertaken by our contractors and ensuring high horticultural standards in the Royal Parks are maintained.