§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the companies he has commissioned to undertake focus group research indicating the individual projects they are undertaking and the companies that tendered for each contract. [38218]
§ Mr. FieldThe Department publishes a Research Yearbook which contains details of contracts awarded in the relevant financial year.
Organisations commissioned to undertake focus group research for the Department and the title of each contract are as follows:
Newchurch and Company—Child Support Agency customer and compliance research.Market Opinion Research International—Attitudes towards welfare reform.Market Opinion Research International—Attitudes to disability benefits.British Market Research Bureau International—Attitudes towards housing benefits.Institute for Employment Studies—People management in DSS Headquarters.Social and Community Planning Research—On-going contract for qualitative research on welfare reform issues.Social and Community Planning Research—Survey of women; development work.Social and Community Planning Research—Preparation for Women's Juries.Social and Community Planning Research—Work Incentives and Intermediaries.Social and Community Planning Research—Take up of Income Support amongst Older Citizens.Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University—Earnings Top Up Staff Panel.Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University—Invalidity Benefit and the Contributory principle.Alan Hedges—Pensions and Retirement Planning.Alan Hedges—Behavioural Response to the evidence requirements.Andrew Irving Associates—Counter fraud publicity.Research Surveys of Great Britain—Awareness of counter fraud activity—benchmarking exercise.224WOne World—New Deal for Lone Parents: development of publicity work.Navigator—Fraud: attitudes to national benefit fraud hotline publicity.Reflexions—Fraud: reporting changes in circumstances.Michael Herbert—Pensions: approaches to information material.Research contracts are normally let by competitive tender, though the department also makes use of the Central Office of Information's framework agreement with approved suppliers. Single tender may be used for example where a supplier has special expertise or experience, is the sole supplier or has sole access to records or data, or in cases of extreme urgency. Details of organisations who have tendered unsuccessfully for contracts is commercial in confidence.