§ 47. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give the salary and conditions of service of the Registrar General, and the first five senior officers connected with the 1981 census.
§ Sir George YoungThe Registrar General has the Civil Service grade of deputy secretary and the Deputy Director of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys has the grade of under secretary; both have responsibilities additional to the supervision of the census. The five senior officers within the census division are chief statistician, senior principal and principal and equivalent. As established civil servants their salaries and conditions of service are standard and are set out in the Civil Service pay and conditions of service code, which is available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action a taxpayer or person completing a census form should take when he has prima facie evidence that the promises and guarantees as contained on the form have not been observed.
§ Sir George YoungIn the first instance he should write to the Registrar General.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why a request for names and addresses has been included on census forms although they will not be used for going through the computer.
§ Sir George YoungNames and addresses signify that the respondent has fulfilled his duty under the law to complete the form; they enable the census offices to check the receipt of those forms that have bypassed the field staff; they enable commonsense checks to be made at the 277W census offices and the right person to be approached when it is necessary to call back to ensure that the information on the form is sound.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which persons and bodies were consulted before the questions were included on the census form; to what extent and on how many occasions he discussed these with representative organisations and others; and whether such discussions included the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry.
§ Sir George YoungTwo advisory committees were set up and each met three times: one had representatives of all local authority and health service users, the other representatives of specialist users. Government Departments were also consulted. The census offices wrote directly to a wide range of persons and organisations that were likely to be interested and these included the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry. Additionally, it was announced to the House on 26 July 1977—[Vol. 936, c.112–13]—that the Registrar General would welcome submissions made to him, with or without invitation, from any source, and that he would consider them most carefully. Finally, the topics to be included in the census were debated in Parliament and indeed were altered as a result of an amendment to the census order.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services for what purpose a question is included on the census form asking where a person was one year ago.
§ Sir George YoungBy comparing the present address with the address one year ago it is possible to provide statistics on the number of people who have moved from one area of the country to another. The census is the only source of detailed local information on internal migration.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the census form asks industrial civil servants to give full and complete details of their work and occupations but advises non-industrial civil servants not to give these details but only their rank or grade; and how this was decided.
§ Sir George YoungThe occupation of non-industrial civil servants is sufficiently defined by their rank or grade. Industrial civil servants have a much wider variety of duties, and it is necessary to have details of their work so that their numbers by occupation can be correctly added to those of other industrial workers.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what mileage area it was decided that a census enumerator would not be called upon to act where the person or persons may be known to him or residing near to him; and what action a person should take if he is able to produce prima facie evidence that this condition has not been observed.
§ Sir George YoungWherever possible enumerators have been appointed to work outside areas where they are known, but no minimum mileage has been specified. It is impossible to ensure that enumerators are not known to all households they call upon; if they recognise or are recognised by a householder they are instructed to offer an envelope in which the census form may be sealed and which will not be opened by the enumerator. Additionally, any householder may ask for such an envelope.
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§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many enumerators were employed in the 1981 census; at what cost; and how many hours were worked by these people in distributing and collecting the census forms.
§ Sir George YoungApproximately 103,000 enumerators have been employed in England and Wales. Their total fees and reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses is estimated at £16 million. Payment is for a set task and the time taken will vary between individuals.