To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many market research and sample surveys were carried out by or for his Department in the last 12 months; what was the cost of each; what was the total cost; how many were carried out in-house; how many were carried out for his Department by outside organisations; and what percentage of the total expenditure was paid to outside organisations.

All 46 surveys carried out for my Department in the last year were placed with outside organisations at a total cost of £705,000. Individual amounts are commercially confidential.