1971 CENSUS (Hansard, 2 December 1974)

§ Baroness YOUNG
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, every effort is being made to produce the remaining results of the 1971 Census as rapidly as possible and it is expected that the bulk of the material yet to be published will be paid before Parliament within the next six months.

§ Baroness YOUNG
My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord, Lord Wells-Pestell, for that reply, may I ask him whether he considers that a reexamination of the organisation of the office of the Registrar-General is called for in view of the fact that it takes nearly 3½ to 4 years for the publication of this vital information, particularly, at the moment, for local authorities in compiling their structure plans?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, I would not accept what the noble Baroness says regarding the need to look into the organisation of the Department. If I may say so with the greatest possible respect, four times as much information was required from the 1971 Census than from any previous Census. There have been computer problems, in regard to which the Government are not alone. May I also point out that there have been a tremendous number of requests for information from several bodies. For example, the county reports are in three volumes for each county, with 13 volumes on individual topics covered by the Census. In addition, more than 300,000 pages of more detailed statistics have been produced at the request of various authorities. It has been quite a gigantic task, but a good many lessons have been learned from this particular Census.

§ Lord NUGENT of GUILDFORD
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that, despite the efforts which have been made, the fact is that planning authorities are still relying largely upon the 1961 Census for their information and that this is completely useless to them in drawing up the structure plans and local plans which we all expect them to do today? Is the noble Lord aware that my noble friend is right in saying that there is a lack of resources in the office of the Registrar-General to get out this vital information, and will he please take back the thought that it is now a matter of top priority that if these plans are to make any sense at all more resources should be recruited so that we may get this information out?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord. Obviously, the Government will take note of what has been said, not only by the noble Lord but also by the noble Baroness. I cannot quite understand why 5 local authorities are being held up. My information is that the remaining results of the 1971 Census relate to migration, transport, household composition, occupation and industry, fertility and manpower. I appreciate that much of that impinges upon the local authority, but I should have thought that a good deal of information is available.

§ Lord NUGENT of GUILDFORD
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that I shall be happy to write a little essay for him, explaining to him just how all those factors relate to planning?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, I ask the noble Lord to spare me that.

§ Lord AMULREE
My Lords, would not one way of solving this problem be to reduce the number of questions on the Census form so that it would more closely approach the Census which I think was instigated by King David some long time ago in Palestine?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, my recollection is—and I am trusting to memory now—that the 1971 Census was in fact completely reorganised and a good deal of information hitherto asked for was not requested. Obviously this aspect is subject to review from one Census to another and I will bear in mind what the noble Lord has said.

§ Lord SLATER
My Lords, can the noble Lord say whether there has been any application from the Department of the Registrar-General to increase their resources because they are over-burdened with work? That seems to be the problem arising from the supplementary question put by the noble Lord, Lord Nugent of Guildford. Can my noble friend further say what the actual cost of the Census was for 1971, and what is likely to be the cost of any new Census if the Government so decide to undertake one?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, in reply to the first question put to me by my noble friend, the Department are well aware of the difficulties they are facing and it may well be that we shall learn a lot from this last Census. I cannot give the noble Lord an answer to the second and third questions, on cost.

§ Lord AVEBURY
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that while the Government may not be alone in having computer 6 problems they are also not alone in using such an excuse to explain away their own failures, as many other organisations are in the habit of blaming troubles on computers when in fact they are the fault of the personnel operating them? Will the noble Lord consider making a fuller Statement, or making available in some other form information as to precisely what is the nature of the problem with the computers owned by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys so that we may consider what necessary action can be taken in regard to it?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, perhaps the noble Lord will allow me to look at his question to see what we can do along the lines he has suggested.

§ Lord PARGITER
My Lords, will the noble Lord consider the possibility of dividing the Census into two and spreading it over two periods rather that having a long interval between each separate Census?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, we will take note of the noble Lord's suggestion and will see whether it is a possibility.