The Prime Minister’s Instructions (1999) set out the guidelines for the control of statistical surveys carried out across UK Government. Statistical surveys are controlled in order to minimise costs to respondents and promote high quality surveys. See http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about_ns/cop/downloads/respondentload.pdf and http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=12732 for further information.

Compliance costs are an estimate, in monetary terms, of the time taken by businesses and local authorities to complete a survey. They are estimated using the time taken to complete a survey multiplied by an hourly rate of pay dependent on the experience of the person completing the survey. Hourly rates of pay are provided each year by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The annual report and a forward compliance cost plan on statistical survey activity in the DTI provide details on the types of current survey activity and the associated costs to government, local authorities and business. Costs to businesses and local authorities are termed compliance costs.

- Annual Report of Survey Activity 2007/08 (PDF 40Kb)

- Forward Compliance Plan 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11 (PDF 20Kb)

Previous reports

- Annual Report of Survey Activity in 2006/07 (PDF 45Kb)

- Forward Compliance Plan 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10 (PDF 30Kb)

- Annual Report of Survey Activity in 2005/06 (PDF 148Kb)

- Forward Compliance Plan 2006/07, 2007/08 & 2008/09 (PDF 84Kb)

Last updated on 15 September, 2008