§ 46 and 47. Sir G. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in regard to the test census to be inaugurated shortly, what instructions his Department has given questioners in regard to privacy and confidentiality, and on the optional nature of replies, in regard to the personal incomes of persons questioned;
(2) what personnel, Civil Service or otherwise, are to be employed on the test census when asking people to divulge their personal incomes; and if he will arrange for an oath of secrecy to be administered to interrogators.
§ Mr. CrossmanThe field staff of the test census carried out in April were most of them registrars of births and deaths or officers of local authorities or Government Departments. They were required to sign the Official Secrets Act before taking up their duties and it was impressed upon them that all information obtained during the census is confidential and that it is an offence to divulge or misuse any of it. Enumerators were instructed to invite the co-operation of the public but not to press anyone who was unwilling to take part in the test. It was open to any respondent to send his form direct to the controlling officer, by-passing the enumerator.
No personal information collected in the census or in a test will be passed to 8W the Board of Inland Revenue or to any other authority or person outside the census organisation.