To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on what issues his Department has conducted opinion polling in the last 12 months; and what the cost of each poll was. (94537)

The Department has undertaken two public opinion surveys within the last 12 months. The first surveyed 500 parents and 500 non-parents to measure their perceptions of education, skills and children’s services. The survey ran over three waves—December 2005, March 2006 and June 2006 and each wave cost £17,023 excluding VAT. We will publish a summary of the survey results on the DfES website later this month.

The second was a telephone poll conducted by MORI into the attitudes to fees in further education on behalf of the Department. The poll covered 2,000 members of the public in England and ran in September 2005. The cost of the MORI poll was £42,700 excluding VAT and the findings were published on the 11 November 2005.