§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a detailed statement on the forthcoming census, explaining why, in view of the fact that all such details are already registered at Somerset House, a person must give the number of children, their ages, dates of birth, whether born in or out of wedlock, and other such details; and whether he will arrange that where such information is officially obtainable this need not be given again.
§ Sir K. JosephAlthough records of births and marriages which have taken place in England and Wales are held at Somerset House, and of those which have taken place in Scotland at New Register House, Edinburgh, no similar records are available in this country for people born overseas. Registration records do not, therefore, cover everyone currently resident in this country.
Nor do they contain information on many of the other topics covered by the Census. The combination of this other information with the answers to the Census questions on the date of marriage and dates of birth of children born in marriage, provides the basis for studies of marriage and birth rates and family formation which are important for, among other things, estimating the future size and structure of the population.
Only married women aged under 60 are required to give information on the dates of birth of their children and only of those born in marriage.
The answer to the last part of the Question is "no".
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§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give the latest official estimate of the total cost involved in carrying out the forthcoming census and break this total amount down into an itemised account showing how much is being paid in each instance for salaries and fees for those engaged on these activities, the hours worked, and whether these payments will be additional to any other amount of income received by these persons.
§ Sir K. JosephThe latest estimate of the total cost of the Census in England and Wales is expected to be between £10 million and £11 million, depending on what special tabulations are required. The two largest elements in this are £6 million for payments to field staff and £3 million for the central processing staff. Nearly £5 million of the former is for fees to enumerators, who are to be paid a fixed amount of £48 each. Census officers' fees total about £450,000 and assistant census officers account for almost the same sum. There will unavoidably be wide variation in the number of hours' work all these field staff will need to put in. Each of the 100 Supervisors will receive £1,000 for the equivalent of six months' full-time work spread out over a 10-month period. There are certain allowances payable—for example, to enumerators whose districts prove to contain significantly more households than the number estimated in advance.
Work as an enumerator, census officer or supervisor is additional to any other job which the person appointed may have and the payment for it is therefore an addition to any other income received.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give the basis upon which a salary or fee of £48 is being paid to those connected with the forthcoming census; how many hours of work will have to be undertaken for this fee; whether this is in addition to the Civil Service salary which many of these persons normally receive; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephThe fee of £48 paid to census enumerators is a flat rate payment (of which £15 is regarded as covering expenses incurred and is therefore not subject to tax). There will inevitably be variations in the number of hours which446W different enumerators will need to take over the work. The work is to be done in the enumerator's own time, whether or not he is a Civil Servant, and the payment is therefore quite separate from, and additional to, earnings from other employment.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will state what action a person who is filling in his Census form has to take when he genuinely does not know where his deceased parents were born; and, as the form makes no provision for such information, what reply must be written into the form.
§ Sir K. JosephAnyone who does not know in which country his parents were born and who cannot find this out should enter "Not Known" against this particular question in the Census form.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he can give an assurance that the wording and questioning as contained in the Census forms are such as to ensure that all British people of English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish parentage will be correctly classified as such when born of British parents in India and other Commonwealth countries, and that they will not be classified as immigrants and of immigrant ethnic origin; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephNo one is in any way personally affected by his answers to Census questions, since all personal information is kept entirely confidential.
There are no questions on either nationality or ethnic origin and the statistics derived from the questions on country of birth and parents' country of birth will not imply that anyone included in them is necessarily an "immigrant" or of any particular ethnic origin.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is aware that a number of people have publicly declared their intention of refusing to give information to the census inquirers; what action is to be taken against persons who deliberately refuse to give information and those who genuinely are not able to give answers to many of the questions to be posed; and whether he will make a statement.
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§ Sir K. JosephI am aware that a few people have expressed their intention not to give the full information required in the Census. Deliberate refusal to answer any of the questions or the giving of false answers is an offence under the Census Act rendering the offender liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £50. In cases of genuine inability to answer particular questions, no action against the person concerned would in my view be appropriate.