§ Norman LambTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what surveys of public perceptions of his Department and of its areas of responsibility have taken place over the last 12 months; what the(a)title and (b)nature of these surveys was; what the findings of each survey were; where these findings have been published; what the cost of such surveys was; and if he will make a statement and place copies of the surveys in the Library [176950]
Mr. Gareth ThomasOver the last 12 months, DFID has commissioned two public attitude surveys. The first, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Omnibus Survey on "Public Attitudes Towards Development" is undertaken annually (since 1999) to monitor the attitudes of the UK adult population. The cost of the July 2003 Survey was £32,990. The results are published on the DFID website and are available in the House Libraries. The second, the Market and Opinion Research (MORI) survey on "Attitudes of Schoolchildren towards Development", is undertaken annually (since 2000) to monitor the attitudes of young people. The cost of the January 2004 Survey was £12,220. The results will be published on the DFID website and made available in the House libraries once MORI has finalised the report. The results of both surveys are used to inform, and monitor the impact of, the development awareness work of the Department. The key indication from the 2003 "Public Attitudes Towards Development" survey is that 67 per cent. of the public are concerned about poverty in developing countries.
In 2003, DFID also commissioned focus group work to research how we can increase levels of understanding of, and support for, development within the UK. The cost of this work was £50,309. A summary of the focus group research is published on the DFID website.