To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on (a) focus groups and (b) other deliberative forms of public opinion research in each month of the last two years. (317157)

Monthly data on the amount spent on focus groups and other forms of deliberative public opinion research could currently be provided only at disproportionate cost as the information requested on expenditure is not held centrally. However, a search of local records has identified a number of projects undertaken in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 financial years where focus groups were used, the expenditure on which is provided as follows.

Figures in the table above are estimates including VAT and are based on a collation of local returns as no central records are available. They exclude any focus groups run by NDPBs.

With regard to deliberative research, between October 2009 and February 2010, the Ministry of Justice held a series of deliberative events on Identity, Values and a possible Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. It is not possible to finalise the actual costs at this stage, however, it is anticipated that this will come to less than £1 million in total.