The following from Hamish Birhall.

Licensing minister James Purnell has written to some MPs within the last few weeks claiming that the recent Market Research Society (MRS) enquiry 'upheld the integrity' of the DCMS/MORI live music survey.

However, the Market Research Society wrote yesterday to one musician specifically concerning this latest ministerial claim: 'MRS has no view on the statistical reliability of the MORI/DCMS survey.'

You will recall that last October MRS ruled that the original 1.7m live gig claim made by DCMS was misleading, and revised this estimate for 'bars, clubs and restaurants' down to 1.3m gigs a year. This called into question the use of the word 'flourishing' by the then licensing minister, Richard Caborn; a claim that was made specifically on the basis of the 1.7m estimate. Indeed, it is a claim which DCMS still makes.

Shortly after the MRS ruling, it emerged that on 21 October 2005 DCMS had covertly and retrospectively altered the disputed minister's quote in the original live music press release. The change made it look as if no misleading claim had ever been made; the altered document was passed off as the original. Two months later, on 22 December 2005, following a Parliamentary question, DCMS finally added a rider to the press release admitting that changes had been made. But the rider does not explain the significance of the changes, and curiously there is no sign of the downard revision by MRS of 1.3m live gigs for 'bars, clubs and restaurants'.

See:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/press_notices/archive_2004/dcms110_04.htm?month=August&properties=archive%5F2004%2C%2Fglobal%2Fpress%5Fnotices%2Farchive%5F2004%2F%2C

If the original live music survey had integrity, you would expect it to be statistically reliable. Since the MRS has 'no view' on the survey's statistical reliability it looks as if, once again, Purnell is seriously misleading MPs and the public by implying that MRS endorsed the survey.

ENDS
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MRS have also stated the following.

In regard to the scope and findings of the MRS investigation related to this survey, the Market Research Standards Board released the following statement in November 2005:


"The MRS received a complaint concerning the findings and press release issued in respect of a poll on live music in England and Wales carried out by MORI in June and July 2004.

The complaint was investigated in accordance with MRS Disciplinary Regulations, following which the Market Research Standards Board (MRSB), formerly the Professional Standards Committee (PSC), found that in one respect, MORI had allowed the results of the poll to be reported in a way that was not sufficiently accurate. Accordingly, it decided that there was a case to be pursued against Michael Everett, a member of MRS, under B14 of the Code which provides that "Researchers must not knowingly allow the dissemination of conclusions from a marketing research project which are not adequately supported by the data….". Although Michael Everett was not personally involved in the poll, he is Managing Director of MORI and therefore accepts that ultimate responsibility for the project rests with him.

MRSB appreciated that Michael Everett had co-operated with the investigation and had been ready to acknowledge that a mistake had been made. Taking all considerations into account, MRSB decided that it would be appropriate to recommend that he receive a warning in respect of this matter and that he give a written undertaking to take all reasonable steps as soon as practicable to ensure that the press release is corrected in full.

Michael Everett has consented that a Disciplinary Order be made accordingly."

Perhaps you can be left to judge if Licensing minister James Purnell's claim that "the recent Market Research Society (MRS) enquiry 'upheld the integrity' of the DCMS/MORI live music survey" is a correct one under these circumstances?