§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of(a) the number of people engaged in voluntary community activities and (b) the total number of man hours of voluntary community service delivered in each of the last seven years.[130702]
§ Fiona MactaggartThe information is as follows:
- (a) The 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey, published on 16 September 2003, provides the following information on "voluntary and community activities", which include civic participation, informal volunteering, and formal volunteering. In the last 12 months 38 per cent. of people aged 16 and over in England and Wales engaged in civic participation (e.g. signing a petition, contacting public officials or elected representatives, attending a public meeting or rally or taking part in a public meeting or protest). This is equivalent to 15.9 million people. In the last 12 months 67 per cent. of people aged 16 and over in England and Wales volunteered informally (as individuals) at least once. This is equivalent to approximately 27.8 million people. In the last 12 months 39 per cent. of people aged 16 and over in England and Wales volunteered formally (through groups, clubs and organisations) at least once. This is equivalent to approximately 16.2 million people.
- (b) The 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey shows that in 2001 the contribution of people aged 16 and over who volunteered informally at least once in the last 12 months in England and Wales totalled approximately 1.8 billion hours. The contribution of people aged 16 and over who volunteered formally at least once in the last 12 months in England and Wales totalled approximately 1.7 billion hours.
These data are only available for 2001. Results from the 2003 Home Office Citizenship Survey will be available during 2004. Separate data, collected as part of the 1997 National Survey of Volunteering is not directly comparable to the findings of the 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey.