§ Mr. Nichollsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what public tests are being carried out for the next census of population.
§ Mrs. CurrieMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland have asked the Registrars General to conduct a voluntary census test in April 1987.
This test will cover about 80,000 households in parts of Amber Valley, Hammersmith and Fulham, Reading, Middlesbrough, Dundee city, Angus and Ross and Cromarty. Specimen forms will be placed in the Library of the House when they become available. The test is mainly concerned with procedures for collecting census forms from households but the opportunity is being taken of trying out revised forms of census question also. The questions asked on the forms will not necessarily be those used in the next full census. I hope all members of the public invited to take part in the test will do so.
The answers given in these voluntary tests will be entirely confidential and no information about individual persons or households will be passed outside the census offices.