Survey activity
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. More information is available from the Office for National Statistics.
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 (PDF, 93 Kb) and a forward compliance cost plan (PDF, 48 Kb) on statistical survey activity in BIS 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.
Previous reports can be found on the National Archives.
