Written question asked by John M Taylor (Conservative) on Thursday, 15 April 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 21 April 1999. It was answered by Patricia Hewitt (Labour) on Wednesday, 21 April 1999 on behalf of the Treasury.

Treasury

Question: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the honourable Members to whom, since 1st October 1998, his Department or the Office for National Statistics, have provided information about restrictions on public access to the census returns for 1921, 1951 and 1961, indicating what information was provided.

Answer: Mr. John M. Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the hon. Members to whom, since 1 October 1998, his Department or the Office for National Statistics, have provided information about restrictions on public access to the census returns for 1921, 1951 and 1961, indicating what information was provided. [81565] Ms Hewitt: Responses to several hon. Members have been given since 1 October 1998 on matters relating to the restricted access to closed census returns in England and Wales, only two of which were in response to inquiries referring specifically to censuses for the period since 1911. In each case the response given set out the Government's view that, whilst they recognise the sociological value of historical census records, it considers that the strict confidentiality assurances given about present and future censuses would be seriously compromised if it were seen to be departing from the assurances given about censuses in the past. In the White Paper on the 2001 Census, published on 4 March, the Government confirmed that they have no plans to revise legislation relating to the period of closure of census returns.

Secondary information