Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public Funding: Focus Groups

Thursday 14 July 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Listening to citizens through focus groups has proven more useful than anticipated, especially during the covid-19 pandemic where over 80% of people were aware of key safety behaviors and up to 82% trusted government information.
  • Focus groups are used for policy presentation, not propaganda.
  • If there is evidence of malpractice, it should be brought forward.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mike Amesbury Lab
Context

The question arises from concerns about how public funds are allocated to conduct focus groups, particularly in relation to their effectiveness and potential misuse.

Question

What assessment has been made of the value for money of using public funds on focus groups?

Answer from Jacob Rees-Mogg

Listening to citizens through focus groups has proven more useful than anticipated, especially during the covid-19 pandemic where over 80% of people were aware of key safety behaviors and up to 82% trusted government information. Focus groups did not serve as party political propaganda but aimed at presenting Government policy effectively.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific assessment of value for money was not provided; the answer focused on the general utility without concrete figures or evaluations.

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Q2 Mike Amesbury Lab
Taxation Democracy & Elections
Context

A constituent complained about attending a focus group organised by the former Chancellor and feeling misled, raising concerns about potential misuse of public funds for political propaganda.

Question

Given that a voter felt duped at a focus group run by the former Chancellor, how many Government Departments are now using taxpayers' money for such activities? Is this not wasteful?

Answer from Jacob Rees-Mogg

It would be incorrect to spend public funds on party political processes. Focus groups are used for policy presentation, not propaganda. If there is evidence of malpractice, it should be brought forward.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The prevalence and misuse of taxpayer-funded focus groups were not addressed; instead, the answer focused on general principles without specifics.

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