§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he gave any consideration to the inclusion of a question as to how many of the people of Wales understand, as opposed to speak or write, the Welsh language in the recent census undertaken in Wales.
§ Sir George YoungThe Office of Population Censuses and Surveys consulted the Welsh Office on the form of the census question and decided that the best chance of obtaining sound statistics on ability to speak and write the Welsh language would be to ask exactly the same question in 1981 as in 1971. A further question on ability to understand Welsh would have reduced this chance.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the purpose of obtaining information about qualifications in the census; whether such information is confidential; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungThe purpose is to obtain statistics of the stock of qualified manpower, and the occupations and industries in which they are employed. These facts provide a basis for studies of the future demand and supply of qualified manpower. The results are made available to schools, colleges and careers advisers, to help intending students to make better informed decisions about the future and they also play a part in decisions about the future scale and balance of higher education.
All individual information collected in the census has its confidentiality protected by the Census Act 1920. Anonymous statistics of qualified manpower from the 1981 Census will be published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in due course.
247W
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the information contained in the census returns will enable more accurate information about the extent of unemployment to be published.
§ Sir George YoungThe 1981 census will show the number of persons who are economically active and the numbers of them seeking work. These figures will not be more accurate than the statistics of registered unemployed published by the Department of Employment, but they will cover a wider field because they will include the self-employed and those who are seeking work but are not registered as unemployed.