§ Mr. KINGasked the President of the Local Government Board (1) whether he is aware that it is over thirteen months since the Census of 1911, that the Preliminary Report of the Census for England and Wales is out of print, and that the Preliminary Report contains information not otherwise available; and whether Tie can promise that further statistics of the population in England and Wales will be published shortly; and (2) whether he is aware that the delay in publishing the information collected at the Census of England and Wales in 1911 is causing inconvenience and discontent; and whether, seeing that Census Returns for Ireland and Scotland are now published in detail, he can promise an immediate issue of a further Report?
§ Mr. BURNSThe Preliminary Report of the Census of England and Wales which is now out of print, gave the unrevised population figures for England and Wales and the more important of its subdivisions; that publication will be superseded very shortly by the issue of volumes which will give the revised population figures for every civil parish, and of the administrative and Poor Law areas into which England and Wales is divided. The volumes containing this information will be issued some time in July. In the meantime, each local authority has been furnished with an advance proof giving 1918 the revised population figures for their district.
§ Mr. KINGCan the right hon. Gentleman give no hope of something to take the place of the Preliminary Report, which will be available to all persons and will cover the whole of England until July next?
§ Mr. KINGIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that for months past the figures have been available for the rest of Scotland and Ireland?
§ Mr. BURNSYes, I am, but the hon. Member must also be aware of the fact that the population covered in England and Wales is 36,000,000, and in Scotland and Ireland combined, it is just under 10,000,000.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member cannot argue those matters.
§ Mr. KINGasked whether it is intended to publish separate volumes of the Census statistics and information for each county of England and Wales; and, if not, what reason can be given for a different procedure in England and Wales from that followed in Scotland?
§ Mr. BURNSThe results of the 1911 Census of England and Wales will be presented in volumes each dealing with the country as a whole and containing information on certain subjects only. To meet the convenience of those interested in particular areas only, the issue of the above-mentioned publications will be followed by volumes which will relate to separate counties or groups of counties, and will contain statistics calculated from the several subject-volumes. The Scottish and Irish Census authorities were informed as to the method of publication to be adopted in England and Wales; they preferred, however, to publish their results in county parts.
§ Mr. KINGasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the preliminary Report of the Census for England and Wales (Command Paper, No. 5705, of 1911) has been for some time out of print; that it contains information constantly required and not elsewhere available; that second-hand copies of this Report are 1919 fetching 10s. a copy; and whether, under these circumstances, the Treasury will consent to its being reprinted?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI have received no request for the reprinting of the preliminary Report; and though I regret that the original supply has not been found sufficient, in view of the fact that the preliminary Report will shortly be rendered obsolete by the publication of the volume dealing with the Census Population Statistics, I think it would be hardly justifiable to incur the considerable expense involved in resetting the type of the earlier Report.
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am afraid I cannot say without notice.