§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if Northern Ireland hon. Members will be given an opportunity to comment on the draft census questionnaire626W being formulated before it is published; and if he will ensure that irrelevant questions are not included in the census document when published.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe Government will prepare a draft census order and lay it before Parliament in accordance with the Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969. The order will provide for the taking of a census of population in Northern Ireland in 1991, and among other things, will set out the particulars to be stated in the census returns. At a later stage, census regulations will make detailed provision for the conduct of the census and contain specimens of the forms to be used. All the questions asked will be relevant.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the draft census questionnaire includes a question about the respondent's knowledge of Irish; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe Government propose to include in the 1991 census of Northern Ireland a question of knowledge of Irish language in parallel with the language questions to be included in the censuses for Wales and Scotland.