HC Deb 17 July 1990 vol 176 cc491-2W
Mr. Peter Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received regarding unsolicited telephone calls requesting personal information made to members of the public by companies authorised by his Department.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

The Department has received only one representation regarding unsolicited telephone calls requesting personal information.

Mr. Peter Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the topics of interest to his Department which were regarded as suitable for commercial public opinion surveys by means of unsolicited telephone calls.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

Topics considered suitable for commercial public opinon surveys by means of unsolicited telephone calls in the last three years were:

Calls to employers:

  1. 1. Employers' sick pay and disability pension.
  2. 2. Maternity rights survey (a).
  3. 3. Awareness of the social security advice line to employers.
  4. 4. Awareness of national insurance and statutory sick pay information materials.
  5. 5. Check of receipt of 1989 national insurance tables.

Calls to the general public: Awareness and opinions of households in Berkshire of people with disabilities.

Note: Survey jointly sponsored by DSS, Department of Employment and the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Mr. Peter Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many surveys based on unsolicited telephone calls have been commissioned by his Department in the last three years; how many commercial organisations were engaged; and at what cost.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

Details of surveys based on unsolicited telephone calls commissioned by the Department in the last three years are contained in the table.

£000
Number of surveys 6
Number of commercial organisations involved1 6
Total cost2 274.5
1 Includes "not for profit" organisations.
2 The cost is the total cost of the study of which the survey was a part.

Mr. Peter Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice he will give to a member of the public who receives an unsolicited telephone call from a commercial company claiming it was authorised to collect personal information on behalf of his Department on how to deal with that call.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

Commercial companies authorised by the Department to conduct telephone surveys among the general public are required to give a telephone number which people may ring to check the validity of the research. A member of the public who has any reason to doubt the validity of a call should report the fact to the Department. Additionally, they have the right not to take part in any survey.