Office of Population Censuses and Surveys: General Household Survey: Original Returns

The General Household Survey is a multi-purpose survey designed to meet the needs of a number of departments for basic data through the operation of one general household sample. The main client departments have been Department of Employment; Department of the Environment; Department of Health and Social Security; Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (Population Statistics Division and Medical Statistics Division); Scottish Office; Department of Education and Science.

The survey is designed to provide quarterly and annual information on repeated "core" topics and to be useful for supplementary enquiries relating to special sections of the population, or to more detailed aspects of the main continuing topics. The continuing "core" questions provide basic statistical data on employment and unemployment, housing, education, migration, health, and household make-up. Since questions on these different topics are put to the same household, the design permits examination of the relationships between the topics covered, e.g. between health and employment, housing and migration, education levels and job changing.