Question

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will publish the (a) scope, (b) date of commissioning, (c) date of polling and (d) cost of polling commissioned by the Devolution Team in his Department on attitudes in Scotland towards Scottish independence and related matters from (i) Ipsos-MORI and (ii) other opinion survey companies since May 2011.

The UK Government regularly commissions independent research to inform and evaluate major policy programmes. Cabinet Office has contracted Ipsos MORI for the purposes of providing market research in relation to the Scotland Analysis Programme. Two formal tenders for this research were issued in March and August 2013 respectively and, as with other tenders for Government contracts, these processes were managed by the Government Procurement Service (now part of the Crown Commercial Service).

Cabinet Office has also contracted Engine Partners LLP for the purposes of providing communications support work in relation to the Scottish independence referendum. A formal tender for this work was issued in September 2013 and was managed by the Government Procurement Service.

As part of the Government's commitment to transparency in expenditure information relating to the costs of both sets of work is publicly available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data