§ Mr. David MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what categories of statistical information his Department collects in respect of the new parliamentary constituencies; what plans he has to collect similar information for the new constituencies to that currently collected for the existing constituencies; what categories he intends his Department to collect in future; and if he will make a statement. [40154]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonCurrently it is only electoral statistical information which is specifically collected for the new constituencies. Some of this information has already been published in the ONS Monitor EL 96/2 which is available in the Library. Further information will appear in the ONS volume "Electoral Statistics 1996" to be published towards the end of the year. We shall continue to collect the same information on the new constituencies as is currently collected for the present constituencies.
A census monitor, published by the General Register Office for Scotland (GRO(S)) on 30 September 1996, presented selected data from the 1991 census for each of the new constituencies. GRO(S) can also provide information on vital events such as births and deaths for the new constituencies using analysis by postcode.