HC Deb 23 January 2002 vol 378 c936W
Annabelle Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what record his Department keeps of the expenditure of his Department on(a) polling exercises and (b) focus groups. [29516]

Mr. Blunkett

[holding answer 22 January 2002]: The Department conducts or commissions market or opinion research only when it is justified by the specific needs of a particular policy or programme, and when this is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve the purpose.

Detailed breakdowns of costs and analysis by types of research, such as polling exercises and focus groups, are not held centrally or captured by the Department's accounting systems. Data are recorded under broad expenditure headings, further disaggregation would be possible only at disproportionate cost.