FOI/2022/4312
You asked
How many complaints do you receive for excessive burdens placed on business? Why do you only ever increase the number of surveys you demand from us?
We said
Thank you for your request.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) conducts around 85 statutory business surveys annually, sending out approx. 1.4 million business survey questionnaires to approx. 325,000 businesses every year. In addition, a small number of surveys are conducted on a voluntary basis.
Since 2018, across all surveys, ONS has received 1,131 complaints regarding the excessive burden caused by ONS sending out these business surveys.
Regarding the number of surveys only ever being increased. Our business surveys are conducted independently of each other; therefore, it is possible for a business to be selected for more than one survey at a time. Our sampling procedures are designed to be fair and based on the principle that, over a period of time, businesses of a similar size and within the same industry have the same probability of being selected.