§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is regarding the collection of census forms in April; and if he will make a statement.[155548]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Nick Gibb, dated 26 March 2001:
As Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking about the policy regarding the collection of census forms in April (155548).
For the first time in a census in England and Wales the main method of collection will be the post-back of completed forms. Postage paid envelopes will be delivered with the census forms. This policy will ensure that field staff resources are concentrated in those areas where lower levels of postal response are experienced, and where additional effort may be necessary to collect completed forms or provide assistance.
§ Mr. OttawayTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost will be of the 2001 Census; and how much will be attributed to(a) fieldwork and (b) data processing. [155252]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 23 March 2001]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Richard Ottaway, dated 27 March 2001:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on what the cost will be of the 2001 Census; and how much will be attributed to (a) fieldwork and (b) data processing (155252).
The total estimated cost for the 2001 Census in England and Wales over the 13-year period 1993/94 to 2005/06 is £207 million. Of this, some £92 million is attributed to fieldwork activities, mainly 538W concentrated in the period 1999/00 to 2001/02, and £86 million is attributed to processing, mainly concentrated in the period 2001/02 to 2003/04.
The census is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the plans his Department has in place to ensure that each household in England and Wales will be visited and all inhabitants counted for the purposes of the Census during the foot and mouth outbreak. [155847]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 27 March 2001:
As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what plans are in place to ensure that each household in England and Wales will be visited and all inhabitants counted for the purposes of the Census during the foot-and-mouth outbreak. (155847)
On 20 March I released a statement outlining new plans for conducting the Census in areas affected by foot-and-mouth disease. I attach a copy of the statement. This explains that the Census-takers working in the countryside will respect all foot-and-mouth restrictions, and new arrangements will be put in place to allow delivery to farms and households by mail, or where practical to an agreed point such as a farm boundary. Specific guidance for enumerators is being prepared in consultation with MAFF and the National Assembly for Wales.
In response to the understanding we now have this week about the potential maximum scale of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, I intend to provide an update to this statement this week.
Census: foot-and-mouth
Statement by National Statistician, Len Cook
Plans for conducting the Census in areas affected by foot-and-mouth disease were announced today by Len Cook. National Statistician, and Registrar General for England and Wales.
The Census will continue.
"Census-takers working in the countryside will respect all foot-and-mouth restrictions, whether statutory or otherwise imposed". Mr Cook said. "I am conscious of the distress and difficulty the disease is causing, and we shall do nothing that might contribute to its spread."
Census enumerators are local people, working in local communities, in local conditions. New arrangements will be put in place so that in rural areas Census forms can be delivered to farms and households by mail, or, where practical by prior arrangement to an agreed point such as a farm boundary. Census-takers are being instructed to be flexible in arranging the delivery of forms. On no account will they use taped-off thoroughfares or pass warning signs. They will also comply at all times with local disinfecting requirements. Specific guidance for Census enumerators is being prepared in consultation with MAFF and the National Assembly for Wales.
People in rural England and Wales have responded particularly well in past Censuses, and this makes it possible to introduce a much more flexible approach to counting people in these parts of the country, in response to the outbreak.
Census Day is Sunday 29 April. This year, as will be the case nationwide, households in affected areas will return their forms by post.
Barney Holbeche, Head of Parliamentary Affairs at the NFU of England and Wales, welcomed the plans.
"We are grateful to the Census organisers for recognising the need to minimise any risk of further spreading infection, and to make special arrangements for the delivery and collection of forms from farmers and their staff in the restricted areas of the 539W country," he said. "It is important that this exercise is conducted in a sensitive manner at this time of great stress for farmers, and we will be working with the Census-takers to facilitate this process."
Households that cannot be reached personally by a census-taker, can expect to receive a Census form by post. In Wales,there will be forms in both Welsh and English. Also included will be an explanatory letter, an information leaflet and a post-back envelope. The letter will explain that additional or different forms can be obtained by phoning the Census Helpline, which will be available from Sunday 1 April 2001.