§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Health if he will designate the provisions of the Census Act, 1920, which authorise him to demand answers to columns A to S inclusive of the Census of England, 1951, form and especially panel T of that form.
§ Mr. MarquandThe questions on the Census schedule are asked by virtue of the Census Order, 1950, made under Section 1 of the Census Act, 1920. Paragraph 4 of the Schedule to the Census Act, 1920, which defines the particulars which may be asked, covers the questions in panel T.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Health if, in view of the fact that the questionnaire contained in the Census paper, 1951, is marked strictly confidential, he will state how many persons will have access to that information; and whether all those persons are bound by oath taken under the Official Secrets Act.
§ Mr. MarquandThere are some 50,000 enumerators and 1,200 registrars concerned with the census in England and Wales but only one enumerator and one registrar (and his assistants, if any) see any one form; they all sign a declaration acknowledging the provisions of the Census Act, 1920, under which irregular disclosure of Census information is made liable to a fine or imprisonment up to two 27W years or both; and they have been reminded in many other ways of the absolute confidentiality of the census. The staff in the Census Office, about 650 at the maximum, all civil servants, are subject to the aforesaid provisions of the Census Act as well as to the Official Secrets Act, of which they are made aware in the usual manner.