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Public Opinion

Volume 489: debated on Tuesday 10 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what expenditure has been incurred by the (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental bodies in each year since 1997 on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; if he will list the surveys commissioned; and what the purpose was of each. (261175)

(a) Details of DFID's expenditure on opinion polling and focus groups in each complete financial year since 1997 are outlined in the following table. (iii) DFID may have commissioned other forms of market research as part of its development programme, however these costs are not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to obtain them. Figures for 2008-09 are not yet available.

Focus groups

Cost (£)

Opinion polls

Cost (£)

1997-98

OLR Baseline Study to explore existing attitudes to, and perceptions of Britain's international development programme

43,000

1998-99

1999-2000

ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population to inform development education.

28,200

MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work.

14,700

Readership survey of “Developments” magazine, in order to test its impact and reach.

1,804

2000-01

ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education.

33,000

MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work.

14,629

2001-02

ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education.

34,300

MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work.

11,515

2002-03

OLR focus group to analyse public understanding of international news stories.

38,427

ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education.

31,880

MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work.

11,515

2003-04

OLR focus group research to explore ways of increasing understanding and support for international development in the UK.

50,309

ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education.

32,990

MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work.

12,220

2004-05

ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education.

32,990

MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work.

12,220

2005-06

ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education.

41,766

MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work.

14,776

2006-07

ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education.

37,740

MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work.

18,971

2007-08

Solutions Strategy Research. Qualitative research aimed at getting public opinions on ethical shopping, and the benefits it can bring to developing countries to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications activity.

19,600

2007-08

Taylor Nelson Sofres RSGB questions on omnibus survey to provide interim measure on concern about global poverty among UK adults to inform, direct, and provide a solid factual basis for communications on the work of DFID on fighting global poverty.

5,940

2007-08

Taylor Nelson Sofres annual attitudinal tracking survey into public perceptions of global poverty to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID on fighting global poverty.

47,500

2007-08

ICM quantitative research survey to measure UK adults' interest in shopping ethically and the benefits that it can bring to developing countries to direct, inform, and provide a factual basis for communications activity.

8,844

2007-08

Creative Research. Qualitative stage of audience segmentation research to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications the work of DFID.

52,895.62

2007-08

Taylor Nelson Sofres RSGB Quantitative research (questions on omnibus survey) to measure UK adults' interest in shopping ethically and the benefits that it can bring to developing countries.

7,400

2007-08

Ipsos Mori. Quantitative Stage of Audience Segmentation research, to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID.

137,818

2007-08

GfK NOP annual survey of young people's attitudes towards global poverty and development issues to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID.

23,745

(b) DFID has no agencies

(c) DFID has one non-departmental public body, the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission. The Commission has incurred no expenditure on opinion polling, focus groups or other forms of market research since 1997.