§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for(a) 1992–93, (b) 1993–94, (c) 1994–95, (d) 1995–96, (e) 1996–97, (f) 1997–98, (g) 1998–99, (h) 1999–2000 and (i) 2000–01, (I) his Department's total spending on quantitative and qualitative surveys of policy issues by focus groups, opinion polling, task forces or other means and (II) the cost of each individual project. [146596]
§ Mr. HillIn line with modernising government principles, my Department actively canvasses outside views on its main policies. Where public opinion research is used it is subject to the usual strict rules that spending must represent good value for money and must not be used for party political purposes. The results of research are made widely available. However, information on each project is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.