What The Public Really Think

Cunningham Announces Latest Results From The People's Panel

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Dr Jack Cunningham, today published the results of the third wave of research by the People's Panel.

Dr Cunningham said:

"I am publishing today the third wave of results from the research carried out using the People's Panel. If public services are to serve people better, the Government needs to know more about what people want. Rather than imposing solutions we must consult and work with people. That is why we set up the People's Panel: a 5,000-strong nationally representative group - a world first - to tell us about what people really think about their public services and our attempts to make them better."

• Four in five parents with children under five say that they read to their children every day, with 94 per cent of panel members applauding the literacy hour, the Department for Education and Employment's scheme to encourage schools to dedicate a daily hour to reading. Schools Standard Minister Estelle Morris was delighted with the results:

  "It is enormously encouraging to know that such a high percentage of panel members think that the Literacy Hour is a good idea, with virtually all parents of primary age children supporting it. The backing of parents and the wider community is vital to help in its success."

   

• A reasonably high level of service standards is expected in the UK, but not as high as the service demands of Canadian counterparts. Half of the panel said it was acceptable for a public service phone to ring up to 20 times before it was answered, whereas in a similar survey in Canada, most of the respondents said only ten rings is reasonable.

   

• Nine out of ten people are satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live. As a further boost, Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott announced today that 1634billion will be injected into poorer estates as part of a three-way Government initiative 'Regeneration Day'.

   

• Access to Government information should be more readily available. Two thirds of panel members would most like to be able to get this information at the Post Office.

   

• Two-thirds of panel members look to the Government to inform people of safety risks in the home, but believe it is down to the individual to decide whether they put the advice into practice.

Action taken following the first and second wave findings include, the development of a central website to link up all complaint procedures, an extra 163700 million to boost the national mental health service, a new food standards bill, a review of the way biotechnology and genetic modification is monitored, plans to speed up action to reduce main air pollutants, new guidance to train operators in drawing up passenger charters, a new Freedom of Information Bill and the publication of the 'Our Healthier Nation', the Government's new public health strategy to drive up standards of health for everyone in England and the worst off in particular.

The third wave of results from the panel will continue to act as a useful research tool for a number of departments including Department of Education and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Health and Safety Executive and the Cabinet Office's Women Unit.

A fourth wave of quantitative research will be carried out in the autumn.

1. The Cabinet Office has produced a summary findings, which highlights the main points of interest from the second wave. Copies are available from the Cabinet Office Press Office (see below) and the Service First Publications Line (0345 223242). An electronic version of this summary, along with the full topline results, is also available on the Service First website at www.servicefirst.gov.uk

    

2. Research was conducted by MORI, working under contract to the Cabinet office. In carrying out the third wave of research, MORI interviewed a representative sample of 1,003 Panel members. Interviews were conducted by telephone, between 6-13 April across the UK. In carrying out the 'Where We Live' research, MORI interviewed a representative sample of 1,000 Panel members across England. Interviews were conducted by telephone, between 6-13 April across England. Data are weighted to the known profile population.

    

3. Any Government Department, Next Steps Agency, non-departmental public body, or other publicly funded body, local authority or association representing these organisations who wishes to examine public views of service delivery can use the panel (on a repayment basis).

Download the full topline of the People's Panel Wave 3 [pdf format - 138K]