HC Deb 12 July 1989 vol 156 cc572-4W
Mr. Conway

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the analysis of the proportion of householders in each census test area who returned a completed form is now available; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

Full evaluation of the test will take some time, but the analysis referred to is now available. Of those households recorded as present on census test night, 60 per cent. returned a completed form. The response rates for each area in the test were as follows.

Test area in: Response (per cent.)
Wandsworth and Merton 54
Birmingham 42
Scarborough 73
Berwickshire 94
East Lothian 89
Edinburgh 75

In general, response rates were in line with expectations based on the results of previous voluntary census tests. The test areas were chosen to cover a variety of circumstances and the variation in response rates reflects differences in such factors as the difficulty of contacting householders and of recruiting enumerators.