§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the employment of polling or public survey organisations by his Department during the current and previous financial years, on the organisations employed by his Department, on the values of individual contracts for these services, on the total amounts of money spent and on the purposes of the research undertaken by these organisations. [14505]
§ Mr. Jack[holding answer 20 March 1995]: The Ministry employs, under contract, a number of survey organisations to undertake research into a variety of areas in pursuance of Ministry business. Before any survey organisation is used, the Department takes full account of the need for economy, efficiency and whether the organisation represents value for money.
In 1993–94, 27 organisations were employed at a total cost of £4.4 million. In 1994 1,995, 22 organisations were employed at a total cost of £3.9 million. It is not possible, for commercial reasons, to give the cost of each individual survey.
Details of the research proposals agreed by the survey control unit are published quarterly in statistical news.