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Treasury;Office for National Statistics

Answer

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the reasons for changes in the percentage of households that failed to return Census forms in the last 10 years. [11143] Ruth Kelly: The information falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, dated 30 October 2001: The National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent question on what assessment has been made for the reasons for changes in the percentage of households that failed to return Census forms in the last 10 years (11143). I am replying in his absence. Evidence from the 2001 Census does not yet give a clear indication of the percentage of households that failed to make a return. Early indications suggest that the overall level of response should be at least as good as that to the 1991 Census. The extent and nature of any under-enumeration will be more accurately assessed than ever before by the extensive and separate follow-up Census Coverage Survey carried out by interviewing around 300,000 households shortly after the Census enumeration was complete. Results form the Census Coverage Survey will be used together with information from the Census itself, to provide the best estimate of the extent of any under-enumeration in the Census and the characteristics of the population missed.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

11143; 373 c636-7W;373 c638-9W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Disclosure of information Census Households Forms Take-up

Link

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