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Written question asked by Lord Harper (Conservative) on Tuesday, 17 October 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 October 2006. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Monday, 30 October 2006 on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office.

Government Social Research Service

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.
Answer

Social Research services within Government in Northern Ireland are delivered together with Statistical Services by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Full details of the finances, staffing and activities of NISRA are published in the Annual Report and Accounts of the Agency and are laid before Parliament. The costs and total staff numbers for the last five years, are in the table. The Agency does not separately identify the cost of Social Research services and the figures shown exclude costs and staff associated with the registration service provided by the General Register Office (GRO). The number of publications produced by NISRA and noted in the Agency Annual Report for each of the five years is also shown.

Staff numbers² (excl GRO) Publications
Cost £000¹ (excl GRO) Core staff Survey interviewers (fee-paid) Statistical Research
2005-6 13,137 302 240 148 54
2004-5 11,270 308 187 118 19
2003-4 11,512 307 220 74 10
2002-3 11,004 284 217 74 11
2001-2 11,004 267 179 78 22
¹ The figures include the salary costs for NISRA staff outposted in Northern Ireland departments and other public bodies. They do not, however, include the costs borne directly by these bodies in support of outposted staff.
² Staff numbers are on a headcount basis.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
451 c193-4W; 95848
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Northern Ireland Office Government Social Research Service
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk