Home Office Research Goes to BMRB/Ipsos Bid

A consortium between BMRB Social Research and Ipsos UK has just won the contract for the research on two Home Office social research surveys. These are the British Crime Survey (BCS) 2001-2003 and the Home Office Citizenship Survey (HOCS) 2001. Both will be based on random probability sampling and CAPI data collection.

The British Crime Survey has been conducted eight times since 1992 and has become accepted as the UK's definitive measurement of crime levels and trends. The survey studies crimes that are not reported to the police and is therefore an important alternative to recorded crime statistics. The survey also explores people's feelings and perceptions of crime.

It is believed that some major changes are being made to the survey in 2001. The new survey will be conducted on a much larger basis than previously - involving about 40,000 interviews each year in England and Wales. Fieldwork will be conducted continuously throughout the year. Additionally, changes are being made to the reference period over which people are asked to recall their experiences of crime. The new questionnaire will be carefully piloted and the effects of the methodological changes will be tested using a split sample design.

In contrast, the second survey, the Home Office Citizenship Survey, is new and is based on a significantly smaller sample of 10,000 adults in England and Wales. It will also include an ethnic boost sample of 5,000. The HOCS has been designed to aid the Home Office's objectives of helping to build a fair and prosperous society in which rights and responsibilities of individuals and communities are balanced. Questionnaire topics will include volunteering and community activities, race equality, family issues and attitudes to regulations on liquor licensing and gambling.

Commenting on the award of the British Crime Survey, Dr Chris Kershaw, Head of the Crime Surveys Section at the Home Office, said "We were impressed by the consortium's ideas for taking the BCS forward as we move to continuous fieldwork with an enlarged sample."

Malcolm Rigg, managing director of BMRB Surveys, commented "We are delighted to have won such important and prestigious studies. It reflects our ever-strengthening presence in the social research arena."

Roger Gane, joint managing director of Ipsos UK, added "These commissions show that the leading market research companies can compete successfully for high quality social research projects. We look forward to working with the Home Office and with BMRB."

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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