HC Deb 15 March 2004 vol 419 cc50-1W
Mr. John Taylor

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the financial consequences of reducing the 100-year closure period for decennial population census records for England. [160430]

Mr. Leslie

Under Lord Chancellor's Instrument no.12 of 1966 the decennial census returns are closed for 100 years, on the grounds that they contain information supplied in confidence. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to estimate the financial impact of earlier release dates.