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Private opinion polls on the peace process

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Dear Northern Ireland Office,

I am aware that the NIO carried out private opinion polling on public opinion in Northern Ireland during the peace process.

I would like to request these opinion polls from the period 1993-2010. In particular I'm interested in this polling during the period from May 1997 until September 1998.

Yours faithfully,

Paul Dixon

FOI, Northern Ireland Office

1 Attachment

Mr Dixon
Thank you for your email.  I would be grateful if you can clarify your
request.  A search for the term 'opinion polls' for the period 1993 - 2010
is very wide and would engage the costs exemption as the results would
generate large volumes of records that would then need to be looked at to
identify if they are related to the peace process.  It may be of help if
you can provide additional information in respect of the polls you are
interested in/ the information you are looking for and confirm if May 1997
to September 1998 is the preferred timescale or if this can be reduced.
Many thanks
Freedom of Information Team
[1]image.png

Tue, 5 Mar,
Paul Dixon <[2][FOI #558470 email]> 13:21 (22
hours ago)
to me

Dear Northern Ireland Office,

I am aware that the NIO carried out private opinion polling on public
opinion in Northern Ireland during the peace process.

I would like to request these opinion polls from the period 1993-2010. In
particular I'm interested in this polling during the period from May 1997
until September 1998.

Yours faithfully,

Paul Dixon

References

Visible links
2. mailto:[FOI #558470 email]

Dear FOI,

Thanks very much for your swift response.

Yes, if you could make available the private polling by the NIO from May 1997 to September 1998 I'd be very grateful.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Dixon

FOI, Northern Ireland Office

1 Attachment

Mr Dixon
Thank you for your email, we will carry out a search for the period May
1997 - September 1998 as requested.  However, can you please confirm if
you are interested in a particular type of poll as this would also narrow
the search criteria.
Many thanks
Freedom of Information Team
[1]image.png

Re: Freedom of Information request - Private opinion polls on the peace process

Inbox x

Paul Dixon <[2][FOI #558470 email] 13:56 (43
minutes ago)
>
to me

Dear FOI,

Thanks very much for your swift response. 

Yes, if you could make available the private polling by the NIO from May
1997 to September 1998 I'd be very grateful.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Dixon

show quoted sections

Dear FOI,

I am interested in any opinion polls on the political and security situation in Northern Ireland. This was an important period of the peace process and I am interested in what the NIO's opinion polling was telling the Secretary of State and the British government about Northern Irish public opinion. Whether or not there was support for an agreement and what kind of agreement.

Then I'm interested in the reaction to the Belfast Agreement of April 1998. I have seen quotes in newspaper of private opinion polling conducted during the referendum campaign on the deal and would like to see these and other reaction.

Thank you for your help with this.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Dixon

FOI, Northern Ireland Office

2 Attachments

Mr Dixon
Please see the attached letter of acknowledgement in respect of your FOI
request to the Northern Ireland Office, reference FOI/19/44.
Many thanks
Freedom of Information Team
[1]image.png

References

Visible links

FOI, Northern Ireland Office

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Dixon,  
Please see the attached letter of response in respect of your FOI request
to the Northern Ireland Office, reference FOI/19/44.
Many thanks
Freedom of Information Team

Dear FOI,

Thank you for your reply.

As I mentioned in my request for this information, there are references in the public domain to private opinion polling conducted by the Northern Ireland Office during this period. I can refer you to Ed Moloney's article which is available here:

http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/mal51-1...

This refers to the NIO's private polling but also focus groups. I would be interested in information on both of these.

Your earlier response to my request, asking me for a more limited timescale, suggested that there was extensive polling by the NIO.

Could you let me know what the reason is for you not holding this information? Are claiming that this private polling - reported in the press - was not actually carried out? Or whether it has been archived or transferred elsewhere in the civil service?

Thanks

Best wishes

Paul

Paul

Yours sincerely,

Paul Dixon

FOI, Northern Ireland Office

1 Attachment

Mr Dixon

 

Thank you for your email in respect of your FOI request, reference
FOI/19/44. You were previously asked to clarify your original request as
the search terms and time period were very wide.  A search was carried out
for the refined period of time - May 1997 to September 1998; however no
records within the scope of your request were located.   

 

It is NIO policy to review all on-file data in line with departmental
retention schedules. This ensures that our work is underpinned by the most
relevant information and outdated content is removed from our systems.

 

Many thanks

 

FOI Team

[1]image.png
Dear FOI,

Thank you for your reply.

As I mentioned in my request for this information, there are references in
the public domain to private opinion polling conducted by the Northern
Ireland Office during this period. I can refer you to Ed Moloney's article
which is available here:

[2]http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/mal51-1...

This refers to the NIO's private polling but also focus groups. I would be
interested in information on both of these.  

Your earlier response to my request, asking me for a more limited
timescale, suggested that there was extensive polling by the NIO. 

Could you let me know what the reason is for you not holding this
information? Are claiming that this private polling - reported in the
press - was not actually carried out? Or whether it has been archived or
transferred elsewhere in the civil service?

Thanks

Best wishes

Paul

Paul

Yours sincerely,

Paul Dixon

show quoted sections

Dear Northern Ireland Office,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Northern Ireland Office's handling of my FOI request 'Private opinion polls on the peace process'.

I asked about private opinion polls conducted during the Northern Ireland peace process and gave a broad timescale. I was then asked to narrow this down which suggests that this information was available but costs to provide for such an extensive period were too much. I have provided that narrower timescale.

Now I am told that you do not possess this information. I have asked why this information is not available when the NIO did clearly carry out these private polls and I have not received a satisfactory response. I have provided you with evidence of the existence of these polls from the journalist Ed Moloney.

If you do not have this information from where is this information available?

In the past I have successfully requested private polling data from the Ministry of Defence and I do not see why the NIO has not retained this information and cannot provide it.

You do not seem to be operating in the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

Yours faithfully,

Paul Dixon

FOI, Northern Ireland Office

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Dixon, 
Please see the attached letter of acknowledgement in respect of your
internal review request to the Northern Ireland Office, reference
AP/19/10.
Many Thanks
Freedom of Information Team

FOI, Northern Ireland Office

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Dixon,  
Please see the attached letter of response in respect of your internal
review request to the Northern Ireland Office, reference AP/19/10.
Many thanks
Freedom of Information Team

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Paul Dixon please sign in and let everyone know.