§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what use he and his Department has made of focus group research since June 2001; if he will identify for each research project the topics covered, the person or organisation carrying out the research, and the total cost; and if he will publish the research on his Department's website. [74987]
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§ Mr. Stephen TwiggSince June 2001 the Department has completed focus group work for
Higher Education Student Support commissioned groups to explore how first year students and parents navigated the HE student support website. This was at a cost of £44,050. The work was done by the research agency Conway Smith Rose.Strategic research was done by the agency Campbell Keegan to gauge young people's attitudes to, and perceptions of, education. The cost was £62,334.Fathers were asked their reaction to the new magazine "Dads and Sons" to find out if the publication had any impact on their behaviour to their sons. This work was done by Solutions Strategy Research for £23,030.Women between 18 and 40 joined a focus group run by Solutions Strategy Research to discuss child care recruitment at a cost of £17,743.Men and women over 40 were followed up by the same agency for £27,143.Solutions Strategy Research conducted focus groups with ethnic minorities to look at the barriers to working in child care for £41,000.Ethnic minority pupils' views of education and learning were gathered by Connect Research and Consultancy at a cost of £51,113.Employers were invited to discuss their information needs. This research was conducted by MORI at a cost of £43,113.The agency Cragg Ross Dawson was commissioned to discuss parents' information needs in respect of children's education. The cost was £58,985.For £31,138, the agency Rosenblatt conducted evaluation of the Aimhigher Roadshow withYear 9 pupils at schools across England.A pack to aid transition between Key Stages 2 and 3 was researched by Solutions Strategy Research, which cost £96,800.The agency Came Martin researched attitudes to implementing and promoting basic skills training to employers for £26,849.Reactions to careers information and advertising about Modern Apprenticeships were gathered by Stimulating World Research for £58,444.Educational Communications sought the reactions of children from 10–19 on the Science Year Pack and advertising for £43,181.For £90,475, the agency Rosenblatt looked at current and potential communications media for young people.In addition to the projects listed, the Department regularly commissions research as part of the development of advertising and publicity campaigns. Focus group and other market research into creative development work of this type are regarded as commercially confidential and therefore cannot be published.
The Department's website has details of its research programme (www.dfes.gov.uk/research). Information about focus groups and other forms of research commissioned by the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.