Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The survey was undertaken on behalf of the Study of Parliament Group, with the aim of forming the core of a wider investigation of the information available to and used by British M.P.s.

Main Topics:

Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Postbag: number of letters received per week from constituency/non-constituency sources, average number of hours per day/week spent in dealing with post and attitude, opinion of printed and published material sent by organisations, whether this is filed away. Local Party: way in which information is received from local party. Local Authorities: types of local authority in constituency and nature of contacts, opinion of local authority as source of information on local affairs. Party Headquarters: whether party headquarters offers backbenchers a major source of briefing and information, whether backbenchers in own party can obtain an individually written brief or research report, whether satisfied with the research and information provided to back-benchers, if not - what advantages information from party headquarters would have that other sources lack. House of Commons Debates: whether listens to many back bench speeches in the House of Commons, how often reads Hansard report when not able to listen to debate, whether normally reads press coverage at Commons debates, assessment of debates as source of information in own special field of interest, assessment of usefulness of oral and written questions in special field of interest. House of Lords: how often attends a Lords debate, how often reads the Lords Hansard, whether normally reads Lords' press coverage, whether ever liaised with a peer on a matter of special interest, whether in favour of peers joining specialised committees, whether favours the retention of a second chamber and in what form. House of Commons Library: whether reads the Library handbook, how often visits or contacts the Library, reasons for visits, how often uses Research Division, opinion of Research staff/adequacy of Research Division, what ideal purpose should be, whether would like a regular bulletin in own special field. Whether MPs feel adequately informed about Government and Civil Service administrative acts, opinion of having more parliamentary select committees, whether thinks ministers wish to limit M.P.s' knowledge, whether thinks government will allow a major improvement in the amount of information made available to M.P.s, whether the House of Commons should be happy with the current level of information. Whether has secretarial assistance, readership of periodicals/books, whether watches current affairs programs on T.V., whether runs a constituency 'surgery' and how often, value of 'surgery' work, need for research assistant (unsolicited response). Background Variables Electoral status of constituency (1966), whether rural or urban, region, party, age cohort, education, occupation, local government experience, sponsorship (Labour M.P.s only) length of parliamentary service, electoral gain 1964 - 1966, frontbench experience

One-stage stratified or systematic random sample

one-third, stratified in respect of party, age and education

Face-to-face interview

Postal survey