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Treasury;Office for National Statistics

Answer

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the printing of the census forms for Wales and England began. [135154] Miss Melanie Johnson: [holding answer 30 October 2000]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Simon Thomas, dated 15 November 2000: As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking when the printing of the census forms for Wales and England began. (135154) The contractual arrangements for printing the forms were agreed in February 2000. The contract required printing of the forms for Wales to begin on 27 July. Printing of the Welsh language version of the household forms for Wales subsequently began on that date, followed by the printing of the English language version on 2 August. Details of the arrangements for the consultation on the 2001 Census in Wales have been widely publicised. The shape and content of the Census has been formulated in consultation with users through a structure of Advisory Committees, working Groups and topic-related sub-groups, Census News, information papers, the Internet and ad hoc public meetings. The assessment of the resulting business cases for census topics culminated in the Government's proposals set out in the White Paper in March 1999. In Wales in particular, formal consultation is carried out through the Welsh Census Users Network Group at which each of the 22 local government authorities in Wales is represented as well as a range of other public bodies and authorities. Additional bilateral consultation is carried out with the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Language Board. In addition to this extensive programme of consultation a major public rehearsal of the 2001 Census was carried out in April 1999, including coverage of around 7,800 households in Gwynedd and 6,900 households in Ceredigion.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

356 c756-7W; 135154

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Census Publishing Wales

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk