HC Deb 19 February 1998 vol 306 cc802-3W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what expenditure has been incurred by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies(a) in 1996–97 and (b) since 1 May 1997 on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; if he will list the surveys commissioned and the purpose of each; and if he will make a statement. [26625]

Mr. Tom Clarke

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: The totals of expenditure relating to the Department, its agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies are in the following table.

£
Opinion Polling1 Focus Groups2 Other Forms of Market Research3 Total
1996–97
Department 0 0 6,241 6,241
Agencies 0 15,360 307,581 322941
NDPBs 247,669 307,581 1,719,839 2,275,089
From 1.5.97
Department 0 0 0 0
Agencies 0 5,000 69,578 74,578
NDPBs 256,931 524,673 1,383,472 2,165,076
1 Opinion Polling: This was usually carried out through interviews or surveys carried out by the NDPB or contracted out to an opinion polling organisation.
2 Focus Groups: This was usually carried out in small groups discussing specific aspects of the NDPB or Agency.
3 Other Forms of Market Research4: Various types of research— questionaires, interviews detailed studies, etc carried out either in-house or through market research organisations.
4 Some forms of the market research may use opinion polling and/or focus group techniques.

I have placed details of the Department, its agencies and NDPBs information on expenditure on the types of surveys requested for the periods specified in the Libraries of the House.