§ Mr. DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. [28880]
§ Mr. Ron DaviesThe following contracts for public opinion research have been awarded by my Department since 1 May 1998:
Business and Environment Campaign—Phase 2: Telemarketing Exercise
Purpose: Telemarketing research exercise to around 3,000 decision makers within Welsh SMEs to gauge their awareness of the Department's Business and Environment Campaign.
- Cost: £18,071 plus VAT
- Value: £18,071 plus VAT
- Duration: 5 February to 20 March 1998
Two companies submitted formal bids for the contract—Golley Slater Telephone Marketing Ltd. and Pell and Bales Ltd. The contract was awarded to Golley Slater Telephone Marketing Ltd.
Contracts Awarded by Central Office of Information on Behalf of the Welsh Office
Understanding DevolutionPurpose: To inform development of the "Voice for Wales" white paper161W
- Cost: £12,986 including VAT
- Value: £12,986 including VAT
- Duration: July 1997
The project was not competitively tendered as the timetable did not allow it. The project was awarded directly to Andrew Irving Associates because of their established record of researching in Wales and evidence of adequate recruitment resources.
Devolution Campaign Evaluation
- Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Welsh Office's campaign to promote the referendum
- Cost: £23,148 including VAT
- Value: £23,148 including VAT
- Duration: August 1997
The project was not competitively tendered because there was insufficient time. The contract was awarded to Beaufort Research, the only contractor offering an omnibus service within Wales.
Both these contracts were one off projects, completed within 4–6 weeks of commissioning. The costs shown include management time.