§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that the census of 1981 includes provision for establishing the number of Welsh-speaking persons who are resident in England, tabulated by age group.
§ Mr. MoyleNo. To do so, a question would have to be added to the census form for every household in England.
Evidence suggests that Welsh-speakers in England are a relatively small group: in the 1971 census persons born in Wales—not all of whom may be Welsh-speakers—accounted for less than 1.5 per cent. of the enumerated population of England. Similar information is expected to be available from the next census.