HE Opposition is calling on Government to reveal details of a series of focus groups it held last year.

Shadow Race Relations and Economic Opportunity spokesman Jamahl Simmons questioned why the findings, collated by the Department of Communication & Information and paid for by the taxpayer, have not been made public.

News of the focus groups caused a wave of protest in January 2005 after it was revealed that some questions related to the performance of Premier Alex Scott and the Progressive Labour Party.

Volunteers were asked to rate Mr. Scott's performance on a scale of one to five and also asked to use one word to describe how the party was performing

The United Bermuda Party later claimed Government was using public funds to carry out research for the benefit of the PLP.

Yesterday, Mr. Simmons demanded to know why the survey results had still not been released.

"One year ago, the PLP Government conducted a series of focus groups that they claimed were designed to assist them in "communicating directly with the people"," Mr. Simmons said.

"At that time it was revealed that several of the questions were inappropriately political in nature and could be used not just for the benefit of the people but for the political gain of the PLP.

"Despite the time and cost to the taxpayer, rather than witnessing an improvement in the Government's ability to communicate directly with the people, we have seen an ever worsening decline ? a decline so precipitous that they are prepared to waste even more of our hard earned tax dollars on a Government propaganda channel.

"One year after these focus groups were conducted the PLP still hasn't come clean with the results, nor have they been able to justify the expense. It is shameful that we the taxpayers have to bear the cost of this expensive and apparently failed exercise.

"The PLP needs to answer the following questions.

"How many focus groups have been conducted by the Government since 2003? What is the total cost of these focus groups?

"Was the assignment put out to tender and if not what was the process of selecting the company that conducted the study?

"Were any members of the PLP communications team involved in the development, information gathering or analysis phase of the study?

"Have any members of the PLP communications team had access to the finished report? Will the Government produce the results of these focus groups?"

At the time of the uproar DCI director Beverle Lottimore defended the questions and said that a full report on the findings was to be completed the following month.

But she "could not give a clear answer" on whether the findings would be made public.

When the contacted Ms Lottimore regarding Mr. Simmons' concerns, she responded by saying that just one focus group was held, the issue was tendered, and that no member of the PLP had helped compile questions or had access to the finished report.

She pointed out that Mr. Simmons had already been informed in Parliament of the cost of the exercise, but refused to be drawn on whether details of the focus group would be made available to the public.

"Results have been and continue to be produced, hence the development of a television station," was her only e-mailed statement in response to the question.

Last night Mr. Simmons denied knowing how much the project had cost, pointing out that, while he did raise the question in Parliament, he did not receive an answer.

"I think it's a shame that taxpayers have had to pay for this and yet we still can't get any straight answers on it," he said.