APRA may scale back or even scrap its annual compilation of data on "Points of Presence", a survey of every branch, bank kiosk and ATM in Australia.The trade-off between costs and benefits of the survey will inform the decision. APRA, in a discussion paper yesterday, did not spell out the costs to itself and the industry of producing the data nor offer any real guess as to its utility.The most likely high-value use of this data is as an aid in preparing the business case for takeovers or mergers, in light of the granular detail in the POP report.The original function of the report, first produced around ten years ago, was as a long delayed response to historical political friction over bank branch closures and accessibility of banking services in the bush.APRA said it was "reviewing the value of the statistics that are published and investigating ways to ease reporting burden."It said the "Government has advised APRA that consistent with its deregulation agenda, the Government is supportive of APRA's proposal to conduct a public consultation to determine the need for continuing the publication. "If the costs of reporting are found to outweigh the benefits to users, the Government has indicated that APRA could discontinue the data collection."The high level insight in the report this year is, as usual, pretty humdrum.  There were 6204 points of presence offering a "branch level of service", APRA found, and a decrease of 156 points - or two per cent - from a year earlier.