§ Mr. DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts for public opinion research his Department has awarded since 1 May; if he will indicate the(a) purpose, (b) cost, (c) value and (d) duration of each contract; and which companies (i) bid for and (ii) were awarded each contract. [28874]
§ Mr. Dewar[holding answer 10 February 1998]: My Department has not let any contracts for public opinion research since 1 May 1997. The Government are, of course, keen to consult with the public wherever 268W appropriate and my Department does seek to assess the impact of current policy initiatives through its programmes of research.