§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received with regard to the 2001 census in Wales; and if he will list the nature and date of each representation. [135220]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI have received a number of representations on this subject, mostly concerning the absence of a "Welsh" tick-box under the question about ethnic group.
The Office for National Statistics has announced that there will be a new study into Welsh identity, using information gathered from the census and from an expanded and enhanced Labour Force Survey in Wales. There will also be a significant advertising campaign in Wales to alert people to the option of entering "Welsh" in the ethnic group section of the census. The National Statistician has confirmed that if people indicate that they are Welsh they will be counted as Welsh, and a report on the results will be produced.
The census provides information crucial to all the people in Wales given its role in the allocation of resources from central to local government. High levels of participation in the census are vital to the people of Wales. Full advantage has to be taken of this once in a decade opportunity to obtain a rich seam of information on post-devolution Welsh identity.