§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the cost was in the last 12 months for which figures are available of servicing the Focus 5000 group; [136928]
(2) how many people have left the Focus 5000 group since its inception; and how joiners are recruited; [136924]
(3) how she ensures that the Focus 5000 group is representative of the UK population; [136929]
(4) if she will list the policy initiatives and options that have been tested on the Focus 5000 group. [136926]
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§ Marjorie MowlamThe cost of servicing the Panel over the last 12 months is £146,750, made up of:
- Two top-up recruitment exercises of 500 Panel members: £49,250 each exercise.
- Recruitment of a booster of 830 Panel members from ethnic minority communities: £61,500.
- In addition, the contractor is paid a £9,000 quarterly management fee.
Since the Panel was set up in 1998, 450 members have asked to leave. The original members were recruited by MORI (contracted to run the Panel) using a pre-selected random sample in 714 sampling points at addresses across the United Kingdom. In order to ensure the correct number of young people joined the Panel, a booster survey was conducted among 16–24 year olds.
Since 1998, there have been two top-up recruitment exercises, both from a pre-selected ramdom sample of addressees, but stratified towards more deprived areas and those with a greater proportion of young people.
Although the proportion of original Panel members coming from ethnic minorities is representative of the UK population as a whole, it is too small to analyse their views in detail. We have, therefore, recruited 830 new members with ethnic minority backgrounds.
The Panel has a profile that is representative of the UK population in terms of age, gender, region and a wide range of other demographic indicators. Research results are benchmarked against other surveys that MORI carry out for other central Government Departments and local authorities and we have also commissioned a small study looking at representativeness of research carried out using the Panel; by comparing individual responses among those who took part in the most recent wave of research and in 1998 on service satisfaction questions.
A full evaluation of the effectiveness of the Panel in helping shape Government policy and how representative it now is will be carried out early in 2001. The results will be published.
Five major waves of quantitative research and several qualitative research projects have been carried out using the People's Panel. These have supported a number of policy initiatives. Summaries of the research results have been placed in the House Library and published on the internet. I shall send copies to the hon. Member.