§ Mr. Powellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he authorised the Government Social Survey on behalf of his Department to seek from head and other teachers the details and circumstances of families known by them to be fatherless or motherless for the purpose of interviews.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe Government Social Survey is inquiring on behalf of this Department and the Committee on One-Parent Families into the circumstances of families with children, with particular reference to one-parent families. With my approval and after consultation with the Department of Education and Science, local education authorities were asked to authorise the Government Social Survey to approach head teachers and seek their co-operation in supplying names and addresses of one-parent families in order that a sample might be selected for visiting. It was, of course, made clear to all concerned that co-operation in the inquiry was entirely voluntary, and that in no circumstances would the Government Social Survey pass on information it obtained about280W individuals to any Government Department, including my own, or other person or organisation.