House of Commons Hansard Debates for 5 Nov 1991

Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 5 November 1991

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Public Opinion Surveys

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the public opinion surveys carried out by, for, or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor's Department or the Law Officers since 11 July 1991.

The Attorney-General : One such survey has been carried out by the Lord Chancellor's Department since 11 July. This was an exit survey conducted in a sample of courts on the northern circuit by the north west legal services committee. It was commissioned in May 1991, and it was undertaken on various dates during the summer. In the survey the public were asked to answer a number of questions on the quality of the service and facilities that had been provided for them in the court.

No national public opinion survey has been conducted by any of the departments for which I am responsible since 11 July 1991. No records are held centrally of any local surveys that may have been conducted by area staff of the Crown prosecution service, and such information could be acquired only at disproportionate cost.

Publicity

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide an up-to -date list of each television advertising campaign carried out, or to be carried out, by the Lord Chancellor's Department during 1991-92, and of each other publicity campaign costing more than £100, 000, giving for each (a) the topic, (b) the commencement date, (c) the duration and (d) the advertising, promotional and public relations companies involved.

The Attorney-General : The Lord Chancellor's Department has no plans to carry out any television advertising campaigns during 1991-92, nor any individual publicity campaigns costing more than £100,000.

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Attorney-General if he will give separate figures for spending by the Lord Chancellor's Department on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979-80 and in each following year ; and what are his latest estimates for 1991-92 and budgets for 1992-93.

The Attorney-General : The figures for the Lord Chancellor's Department, excluding staff costs, are as follows :

Column 14


                  |1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92        

                          |£    |£    |£<1>         

----------------------------------------------------------

Television                                                

   advertising    |Nil    |Nil    |Nil    |Nil            

Radio advertising |Nil    |Nil    |Nil    |Nil            

Newspaper                                                 

   advertising    |15,000 |3,967  |50,242 |4,900          

Other promotional                                         

   material       |32,500 |31,208 |77,968 |69,550         

<1> Estimated.

Figures for the budget for 1992-93 will not be available until after the autumn statement and after budgets have been finalised. The breakdown of the amounts spent on respective areas and the amounts spent for the previous years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but the total expenditure, including staff costs, was :


        |£            

------------------------

1984-85 |135,730        

1985-86 |176,613        

1986-87 |148,020        

1987-88 |137,001

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor's Department has sent unsolicited direct mail as part of the distribution of publicity material.

The Attorney-General : The Lord Chancellor's Department has not sent unsolicited direct mail as part of the distribution of publicity material.

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Attorney-General what was the total expenditure by the Lord Chancellor's Department on press and public relations in 1979-80 and in each following year ; and what is his estimate for 1991-92 and budget for 1992-93.

The Attorney-General : Total expenditure on press and public relations excluding staff costs is as follows :