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To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many callers to the Census Helpline have been asked to call back later; for what reason the Census Helpline does not permit callers to hold when operators are busy. - Includes text of letter from John Pullinger of Office for National Statistics.

Asked by

Nick Gibb (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

23 April 2001

For answer on

11 May 2001

Answered on

11 May 2001

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many callers to the Census Helpline have been asked to call back later; [158819] (2) for what reason the Census Helpline does not permit callers to hold when operators are busy. [158818] Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Nick Gibb, dated 11 May 2001: The Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent questions asking about callers to the Census Helpline (158818 and 158819). I am replying in his absence. The Helpline was operational from 1 April and to date more than 2 million calls have been received, with 240,000 calls received on 23 April alone. In comparison, in 1991 only 125,000 calls were received by the Helpline before Census day and a further 85,000 calls after it. Because of this unprecedented level of response in such a short period it has been necessary for the Helpline to advise callers to call back at a time that may be less busy rather than to hold. This was a significant problem for two days, however over 99 per cent. of calls are now getting through. In a move to ensure that everybody has a form and to further improve the service: A separate number was introduced for those who wish to request a form (500 lines); All other queries have been dealt with on the existing helpline number and the number of telephone lines was increased to 1000. With the additional operators, many more callers were able to pose questions not covered by the extensive range of recorded messages. Information on the numbers of callers who have been asked to call back is not available.

Date

11 May 2001

Reference

368 c433-4W; 158819;158818

House

House of Commons

McIntosh of Haringey, Lord

Why the 2001 census form deems those of Chinese background to be non-Asian; and whether, when contemplating the 2001 census form, individuals of Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai or Tibetan background should have ticked the last box in question 8.C. or the last box in question 8.E. when answering the question...

Asked by

Lord Monson (Crossbench)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 May 2001

Reference

HL 2079; 624 c405WA

House

House of Lords

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the risk of spreading foot and mouth by census personnel carrying out their work in rural areas. - (Holding answer 23 April 2001).

Asked by

Michael Fabricant (Conservative)

Answering body

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

8 May 2001

Reference

158414; 368 c126W;368 c132W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what recent representations he has received concerning the delivery of the 2001 census forms and the associated risk of the spread of foot and mouth disease; and what assessment he has made of that risk. - (Holding answer 26 April 2001).

Asked by

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative)

Answering body

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

23 April 2001

For answer on

8 May 2001

Answered on

8 May 2001

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received concerning the delivery of the 2001 census forms and the associated risk of the spread of foot and mouth disease; and what assessment he has made of that risk. [158960] Ms Quin: [holding answer 26 April 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Minister has not received any formal representations concerning the risk of individuals spreading foot and mouth when delivering census forms. However, officials from the Office for National Statistics have consulted the Department over appropriate guidance to issue to enumerators, census team leaders and census district managers to ensure that the exercise is conducted in a way that will do nothing to exacerbate the foot and mouth situation. This guidance has been developed with the support of the National Farmers Unions and will ensure that the census proceeds with maximum caution in rural areas. In particular: Census takers will respect all restrictions in relation to foot and mouth whether put in place by the authorities or by farmers/communities themselves. On no account will census takers use taped off thoroughfares or pass warning signs. Census takers will talk to the Royal Mail about local arrangements for deliveries in rural areas where there are restrictions. Where census takers cannot reach a farm or household they will: (a) attempt to make telephone contact with the householder and arrange to deliver the form in an appropriate way, e.g. delivering the form to the farm gate or arranging for the form to reach the farm or household with other deliveries. (b) post the form to the farm or household with an information leaflet and covering letter advising the householder to post back their completed census form or to call the census helpline for further assistance about completing the form.

Date

8 May 2001

Reference

158960; 368 c131-2W

House

House of Commons

McIntosh of Haringey, Lord

What information is available from the census which is not available from other sources; and what cross-checks are carried out to identify the accuracy or otherwise of the census; and what trials of the census questionnaire were carried out prior to its general use; and what would be the approximate...

Asked by

Lord Lipsey (Labour)

Answering body

Office for National Statistics

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

3 May 2001

Reference

HL 1845; 624 c285-7WA

House

House of Lords

Dept of Social Security

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans he has to use the information collected through the current census to help reduce the incidence of benefit fraud. - (Holding answer 1 May 2001).

Asked by

Lord Willetts (Conservative)

Answering body

Department of Social Security

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

3 May 2001

Reference

159702; 367 c789W

House

House of Commons

McIntosh of Haringey, Lord

What is the estimated cost of the 2001 census, and what is their estimate of the accuracy of the head-count provided by the 1991 census; and how many prosecutions were launched for failure to complete the 1991 census; and what steps were taken to evaluate the costs and benefits of...

Asked by

Lord Lipsey (Labour)

Answering body

Office for National Statistics

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

1 May 2001

Reference

624 c260WA; HL 1819;HL 1822;HL 1823;HL 1824

House

House of Lords

Treasury;Office for National Statistics

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received about access to the census by disabled people; and what action he is taking in conjunction with ministerial colleagues to improve access. - Includes text of letter from Len Cook of the Office for National Statistics, 30 April...

Asked by

Lord Boswell of Aynho (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

24 April 2001

For answer on

30 April 2001

Answered on

30 April 2001

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about access to the census by disabled people; and what action he is taking in conjunction with ministerial colleagues to improve access. [159409] Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tim Boswell, dated 30 April 2001: As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what representations have been received about access to the Census by disabled people; and what action is being taken in conjunction with ministerial colleagues to improve access (159409). An important new initiative for the 2001 Census is the Community Liaison Programme, through which the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census staff have consulted, and worked with community groups and national organisations specifically to assist those who would find the completion of the Census questionnaire difficult. For example, the Census Office has worked with the RNIB over the past two years to produce a set of support materials for the visually impaired. These include Large Print, Braille and audiotape formats of the census questions and information. This support material is aimed at providing details about the questions on the Census form to help a visually impaired person to understand what is being requested and to facilitate supplying the information. In addition text phone Helpline for the deaf has been operating since 1 April 2001. Specialist training presented by an external expert in disability awareness has been given to Census Area Managers and this training has been cascaded down to all members of the field force. An effective communication guide for all field staff which includes disability awareness has also been produced. Help in completing the form will be provided by Census-takers, on a one-to-one basis if necessary. Assistance with the completion of the form for anyone who has difficulty, for whatever reason, can be arranged by field staff, either when the Census-taker calls with the form, or via the Census Helpline (0845 301 2001). I have made alternative arrangements under the Census Regulations to cover cases where, in exceptional circumstances, it would be impossible or unreasonably difficult for the information to be collected by conventional means. This facility is not intended to be used generally, but where it is not possible to provide the necessary assistance locally, information can be provided over the telephone.

Date

30 April 2001

Reference

159409; 367 c511W;367 c511-2W

House

House of Commons

Treasury;Office for National Statistics

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what precautions have been taken to ensure that the delivery of census forms does not contribute to the spread of foot and mouth disease from farm to farm; what provision has been made for those who have not yet received a census form...

Asked by

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

23 April 2001

For answer on

30 April 2001

Answered on

30 April 2001

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what precautions have been taken to ensure that the delivery of census forms does not contribute to the spread of foot and mouth disease from farm to farm; [158955] (2) what provision has been made for those who have not yet received a census form that they can be collected so deliveries on farms are avoided. [158956] Miss Melanie Johnson: [holding answer 26 April 2001]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Miss Anne McIntosh, dated 30 April 2001: As Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking (1) what precautions have been taken to ensure that the delivery of census forms does not contribute to the spread of food and mouth disease and (2) what provision has been made for those who have not yet received a census form that they can be collected so that deliveries on farms are avoided. (158955, 158956) On 2 April I released a statement announcing plans for conducting the Census in areas affected by foot and mouth disease. I attach a copy of this for your information. This explains that census-takers working in the countryside have been instructed to respect all foot and mouth restrictions, and the wishes of the farming community. Specific guidance for census- takers has been drafted in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and has been endorsed by the National Assembly for Wales, as well as by the National Farmer's Union. Specifically, in infected areas and premises within exclusion zones, census-takers have been instructed: not to attempt to gain access to any premises under MAFF restrictions; not to visit any premises with susceptible livestock; to obey any signs forbidding or restricting access to premises; to stay on metalled/public roads; and to try to make contact by telephone to find out how best to deliver the Census form. Details of these procedures have been provided to all Census area managers, and have been incorporated into the training of enumerators. New arrangements are in place so that Census forms can be delivered to farms and households by mail if necessary, or, where practical, collected from an agreed point such as a farm boundary. Completed forms will be returned by mail. The 2001 Census and Foot and Mouth National Statistician Len Cook today expressed confidence that the Census in England and Wales scheduled for 29 April can be conducted safely and efficiently despite the restrictions imposed to combat foot and mouth disease. Census-takers working in the countryside have been instructed to respect all foot and mouth restrictions, and the wishes of the farming community. New arrangements are being put in place so that Census forms can be delivered to farms and households by mail, or, where practical, to an agreed point such as a farm boundary. Completed forms will be returned by mail. The special instructions, drafted in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food, have been endorsed by the National Assembly for Wales, as well as by the National Farmers Union. Details of the procedures have been delivered to area and district managers, and are incorporated in the training of census-takers. Mr. Cook said today "Senior Census officials last week visited teams in the regions worst affected by foot and mouth. They confirmed the practicality of the special arrangements for delivering Census forms in rural areas where there are restrictions. "I am certain that, with these arrangements in place, the Census can be carried through without danger of contributing to the spread of the disease." "I am very conscious of the distress and difficulty foot and mouth disease is causing, and we shall do nothing that might contribute to its spread." Census Director Graham Jones, who on Tuesday visited the North of England and met field staff from Cumbria, Northumberland and Yorkshire, today said: "The people at the sharp end say the revised procedures are entirely practical, and can be applied sensibility and flexibly by census-takers in the countryside." Alex Clark, Deputy Census Director, had meetings with field staff in Wales and Devon, and reported a similar positive reaction. In many places, area managers are liaising with local authorities to ensure compliance with local restrictions. Forms are scheduled for delivery to households between 9 and 20 April. Delivery in areas where there are restrictions may be delayed by a few days, but forms will reach households in time for the Census on 29 April. If necessary the deadline for returning forms will be extended. "The information made available by the Census is essential to the planning activities of a whole range of private and public sector bodies," Mr. Cook said. "It will help determine resource allocation decisions on billions of pounds of public expenditure, which will be vitally important for the rural community and the rural economy. In these extremely difficult circumstances we are delighted by the co-operation we are receiving".

Date

30 April 2001

Reference

367 c512W;367 c512-3W; 158955;158956

House

House of Commons

Treasury;Office for National Statistics

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many telephone information lines are available on the Census Helpline; how many calls have been taken by the Census Helpline. - Including text of letter from Len Cook of the Office for National Statistics.

Asked by

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

23 April 2001

For answer on

27 April 2001

Answered on

27 April 2001

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many telephone information lines are available on the Census helpline; [158957] (2) how many calls have been taken by the Census helpline; [158958] Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Miss Anne McIntosh, dated 30 April 2001: As Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking about callers to the Census Helpline (158957,158958). In the three weeks since the beginning of the Census 2001 campaign, up to 25 April, the Helpline has received more than 1 million calls, with 240,000 calls received on 23 April alone. This level of response in such a short period of time is unprecedented for a government campaign. In comparison, in 1991 some 125,000 calls were received by the Helpline before Census day and a further 85,000 calls after it. The Office for National Statistics is working with Cable and Wireless, who operate the Helpline, to meet demand. The number of telephone lines on the Main Helpline was increased to 1,000 lines on 26 April. The system has also been amended to try and answer the most common queries with recorded information. In addition a new dedicated Helpline with 500 lines is operating for 27 April for those people who have not yet received their Census form. The additional Helpline number, which is being advertised in the media, is 0845 301 3000. A copy of a recently issued Press Release on the Census Helpline is attached. Helping the public with the census--Press Release 24 April 2001 240,000 calls received by helpline in one day. The Office for National Statistics is appealing to the media and community groups for assistance in answering the nation's questions about the census. With five days to go to Census Day on Sunday 29 April 2001, the census helpline is receiving an incredible number of enquiries so that some people are unable to get through to the recorded information or speak to an operator. In the three weeks since the beginning of the census 2001 campaign, the helpline has received more than 650,000 calls with 240,000 calls received yesterday. This level of response in such a short period of time is unprecedented for a government campaign. In 1991, 125,000 calls were received by the helpline before census day and a further 85,000 calls after it. Graham Jones, Director of the Census said, "We are appealing to the media to help us answer the most common enquiries to take some of the pressure off the helpline. The same questions keep coming up. The public are responding quite remarkably in their quest to get the census form right". "We have been working with community groups to provide them with material to help people to complete their form or they can pass on enquiries to local census staff." The most frequent enquiry is from people who have yet to receive their form and are seeking advice about what they should do. Other common queries are from students (who want to know where to complete the form), retired people (who want advice on the section of the form that refers to employment) and people with second homes. (Common questions and answers attached). The Office for National Statistics is working with Cable and Wireless who operate the helpline to meet the demand. The number of telephone lines is being increased by 450 to over 800 lines and the number of helpline operators is also being increased and will reach 100 today (Tuesday) and 190 later this week. The system has been amended to try and answer as many common queries as possible with recorded information. If people need assistance and they cannot contact the helpline they can speak to the enumerator who calls at their home or visit the Census website at www.statistics.gov.uk. In addition, information packs have been sent to organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureaux, Age Concern, ethnic or religious organisations to help them deal with enquiries from the public. Three thousand national and regional organisations have been contacted about the census and many more have been contacted by local census managers seeking support for the census. Graham Jones said, "We want to reassure people. Census forms are still being delivered. Census forms do not have to be back on 29 April. You can complete and return the form after that date. The helpline will stay open after census day throughout May." Tony Chorley, Census Account Manager, at Cable and Wireless the company that runs the census helpline said, "This level of response is unprecedented for a government campaign. The helpline is now taking an huge volume of calls daily, a significant proportion of which are quite complex and taking some time to resolve. We are increasing the number of helpline operators and significantly extending the system to meet demand." Most Commonly Asked Questions I don't have a form yet Don't worry. Forms are still being delivered--they will be delivered throughout this week. What if I am away on census day? You should complete your form as soon as you can and post it back to us in the pre-paid envelope supplied with your form. (This year the census wants to record you at your usual place of residence). Can I sign the form on behalf of someone else? Yes, if you've helped someone complete the form or completed the form on their behalf you can sign the form. Retired people asking whether we really need to know about the former occupations If you are under 75 then you should complete the questions about education and employment (questions 16-35)/ If you are over 75 it is not compulsory to complete these questions (although you can do if you wish). Where should students complete the form--at college or at home? Students should complete the form at their term time address. They should be included in Table 1 and answer questions 1-6 only on the form for their home address. 2nd homes--what do I do? Fill in the full form at your usual address. The form for your second home will arrive at that property. If you are there, or on your next visit, you should only complete questions H1-H5 in the section entitled "Household Accommodation" on page 3 and sign the declaration on the front of the form. No further questions need to be answered. Please return the form in the pre-paid envelope. Or, if someone is staying in your property (but it is not their usual residence) then they should complete Table 2 and questions H1-H5 on the section entitled "Household Accommodation" on page 3, sign the declaration on page 1 and return the form in the pre-paid envelope.

Date

27 April 2001

Reference

367 c430W;367 c430-2W; 158957;158958

House

House of Commons

President of the Council;Leader of the House of Commons

Member

Baroness Beckett (Labour)

Type

Proceeding contributions

Date

26 April 2001

Reference

367 c452-3

House

House of Commons

President of the Council;Leader of the House of Commons

Supplementary business question on delivery and collection of census forms.

Member

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative)

Type

Business questions

Date

26 April 2001

Reference

367 c452-3

House

House of Commons

Treasury;Office for National Statistics

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration he has given to (a) postponing the census for the duration of the foot and mouth outbreak and (b) having census forms delivered by post in rural areas at risk from foot and mouth disease; what instructions are being given to...

Asked by

Michael Fabricant (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

10 April 2001

For answer on

23 April 2001

Answered on

23 April 2001

Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what consideration he has given to (a) postponing the census for the duration of the foot and mouth outbreak and (b) having census forms delivered by post in rural areas at risk from foot and mouth disease; [158416] (2) what instructions are being given to census personnel on precautions to minimise the risk of the spread of foot and mouth disease by the distribution of census forms in rural areas. [158417] Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Michael Fabricant, dated 23 April 2001: As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent questions on what consideration has been given to postponement of the Census and delivery of Census forms by post during the foot and mouth outbreak, as well as the instructions being given to Census personnel to minimise the risk of spread of the disease (158416,158417). The impact of delaying the Census because of current outbreak of foot and mouth was assessed against the public concerns expressed about conducting the census in affected areas. I have been very conscious of the distress and difficulty the disease is causing, but I am certain that we shall do nothing in conducting the Census that might contribute to its spread. 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. On 2 April I released a statement outlining our plans for conducting the Census in affected areas. I attach a copy of the statement. This explains that the Census-takers working in the countryside have been instructed to respect all foot and mouth restrictions, and the wishes of the farming community. New arrangements are in place so that Census forms can be delivered to farms and households by mail, or, where practical, to an agreed point such as a farm boundary. Completed forms will be returned by mail. Specific guidance for enumerators has been drafted in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and has been endorsed by the National Assembly for Wales, as well as by the National Farmers Union. Details of the procedures have been delivered to area and district managers, and are incorporated in the training of census-takers. Census and foot and mouth statement--Monday 2 April 2001 National Statistician Len Cook today expressed confidence that the Census in England and Wales scheduled for 29 April can be conducted safely and efficiently despite the restrictions imposed to combat foot and mouth disease. Census-takers working in the countryside have been instructed to respect all foot and mouth restrictions, and the wishes of the farming community. New arrangements are being put in place so that Census forms can be delivered to farms and households by mail, or, where practical, to an agreed point such as a farm boundary. Completed forms will be returned by mail. The special instructions, drafted in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, have been endorsed by the National Assembly for Wales, as well as by the National Farmers Union. Details of the procedures have been delivered to area and district managers, and are incorporated in the training of census-takers. Mr. Cook said today "Senior Census officials last week visited teams in the regions worst affected by foot and mouth. They confirmed the practicality of the special arrangements for delivering Census forms in rural areas where there are restrictions. I am certain that, with these arrangements in place, the Census can be carried through without danger of contributing to the spread of the disease. I am very conscious of the distress and difficulty foot and mouth disease is causing and we shall do nothing that might contribute to its spread". Census Director Graham Jones, who on Tuesday visited the North of England and met field staff from Cumbria, Northumberland and Yorkshire, today said: "The people at the sharp end say the revised procedures are entirely practical, and can be applied sensibly and flexibly by census-takers in the countryside". Alex Clark, Deputy Census Director, had meetings with field staff in Wales and Devon, and reported a similar positive reaction. In many places, area managers are liaising with local authorities to ensure compliance with local restrictions. Forms are scheduled for delivery to households between 9 and 20 April. Delivery in areas where there are restrictions may be delayed by a few days, but forms will reach households in time for the Census on 29 April. If necessary the deadline for returning forms will be extended. "The information made available by the Census is essential to the planning activities of a whole range of private and public sector bodies", Mr. Cook said, "It will help determine resource allocation decisions on billions of pounds of public expenditure, which will be vitally important for the rural community and the rural economy. In these extremely difficult circumstances we are delighted by the co-operation we are receiving".

Date

23 April 2001

Reference

367 c182W; 158416;158417

House

House of Commons

Office of the Secretary of State for Wales

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, What discussions he has had with the Home Secretary and the First Secretary on the census in Wales. (Failed OPQ)

Asked by

Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative)

Answering body

Office of the Secretary of State for Wales

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

4 April 2001

Reference

366 c224W; 155499

House

House of Commons

Treasury;Office for National Statistics

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research he has undertaken on the likelihood of (a) those with insecure immigration status and (b) those in breach of immigration control of complying with the requirements of the Census. - Including text of letter and figures from John Pullinger of the...

Asked by

Fiona Mactaggart (Labour)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

3 April 2001

Reference

366 c152-3W; 156225

House

House of Commons

Treasury;Office for National Statistics

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what action he has taken to encourage compliance with the Census by people from ethnic minorities. - Inc text of letter from John Pullinger of the Office for National Statistics.

Asked by

Fiona Mactaggart (Labour)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

27 March 2001

For answer on

3 April 2001

Answered on

3 April 2001

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he has taken to encourage compliance with the Census by people from ethnic minorities. [156226] Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from John Pullinger to Fiona Mactaggart, dated 3 April 2001: The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what action has been undertaken to encourage compliance with the Census by people from ethnic minorities. I am replying in his absence (156226). The overall publicity campaign for the 2001 Census will establish the awareness of the Census across the population as a whole, and the banner logo `Count Me In' aims to encourage universal self-inclusion in the Census. However, the full range of ethnic newspapers will be used to advertise the Census to ethnic minorities and publicity material has been placed in a wide range of community-based publications and centres of activity. Customised press notices associated with all the main PR events will be disseminated to all ethnic minority media outlets. For our Recruitment Blitz the press notice directed at ethnic minority media carried a supporting quote from Civil Service Commissioner Karamjit Singh CBE, and we specifically targeted metropolitan areas at 14 sites around the country where there would be good links with local TV and radio as well as a high concentration of ethnic minority populations. Our partnership with BBC Local Radio extends to the BBC's Asian Language Network, which has already run a number of Census promotions. The Census questions and the information leaflet have been translated into 24 commonly used foreign languages and will be available from April 1, as will the dedicated Language Helpline which can offer help in 12 languages. In addition, an ethnic version of the promotional video has been produced using an Asian celebrity, which we hope to place on Asian cable TV. A new initiative for the 2001 Census is the Community Liaison Programme in which the ONS is working in partnership with minority groups, including ethnic communities in order to encourage participation in the Census and to help identify sources of field staff. A significant number of local community members are playing an active part in the census operation as members of the field staff and also by supplying local intelligence that will benefit the Census. The wide range of links established with local communities has helped with the recruitment of the local field force where our aim has been to reflect the make-up of these communities. As well as appointing Enumerators who speak other languages and who understand the needs of local communities, interpreters will be used where necessary.

Date

3 April 2001

Reference

366 c153W; 156226

House

House of Commons

Treasury

Supplementary on whether people will be able to describe themselves as English in the census.

Asked by

Eric Forth (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Oral questions - 1st Supplementary

Status

Answered

Date

29 March 2001

Reference

365 c1101

House

House of Commons

Treasury

Answered by

Melanie Johnson (Labour)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Oral answers to questions

Date

29 March 2001

Reference

365 c1101

House

House of Commons

Treasury;Office for National Statistics

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will break down the publicity budget for publicising the 2001 census; what the timetable is for the publicity campaign; what its objectives are; what initiatives are being taken to target specific ethnic groups and regions; what are the objectives of each;...

Asked by

Kevin McNamara (Labour)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

17 January 2001

For answer on

28 March 2001

Answered on

28 March 2001

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the publicity budget for publicising the 2001 census; what the timetable is for the publicity campaign; what its objectives are; what initiatives are being taken to target specific ethnic groups and regions; what are the objectives of each; and what initiatives are being prepared to make children aware of the census. [146679] Miss Melanie Johnson: [holding answer 23 January 2001]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 28 March 2001: As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your question asking for a breakdown of the publicity budget for the 2001 Census and other matters related to the publicity of the Census (146679). The breakdown of the paid publicity budget for the period 2000/01 to 2001/02 is: Main advertising campaign: £4,728,000 Other publicity activities: £933,000 A carefully planned calendar of public relations events has been organised enabling Census Area Managers to run successful local, yet nationally coherent, campaigns. The objectives of the overall publicity campaign are to establish the necessary level of advance awareness of the Census across the population and to build up public confidence in the Census as a socially worthwhile exercise that is undertaken in the strictest confidence. The banner logo `Count Me In' aims to encourage universal self-inclusion in the Census. The campaign encompasses both paid and free media with the latter being instigated at local level by Census Area Managers working to a centrally co-ordinated PR calendar. Local PR in England has also benefited greatly through a strategic partnership with BBC Local Radio. The full range of ethnic titles will be used to advertise the Census to ethnic minorities as a component within the main campaign designed to address these communities in a sympathetic and appropriate way. The Census form questions and the information leaflet have been translated into 24 commonly used foreign languages--in addition to Welsh in Wales--and will be available from April 1, as will the dedicated Language Helpline which can offer help in 12 languages. In addition, an ethnic version of the promotional video has been produced using an Asian celebrity, which we hope to place in unused air-time on Asian cable TV. Customised press notices associated with all the main PR events will be disseminated to all ethnic minority media outlets. For our Recruitment Blitz the press notice directed at ethnic minority media carried a supporting quote from Civil Service Commissioner Karamjit Singh CBE, and we specifically targeted metropolitan areas at 14 sites around the country where there would be good links with local TV and radio as well as a high concentration of ethnic minority populations. Our partnership with BBC Local Radio has gained us influence over the BBC's Asian Language Network, which has already run a number of Census promotions. These several activities complement the Community Liaison Programmes pursued at local level by Census Area Managers with the overall aim of raising general public awareness about the census, facilitating the enumeration to ensure the fullest possible coverage and helping to provide a source of potential field staff. The Census2001 Count Me In website contains a wealth of material about the Census in general including a number of factsheets as well as covering specific areas such as recruitment. There are two major initiative to make children and teachers aware of the Census: CensusAtSchool is an outline census for schoolchildren asking questions with youth appeal (covering topics such as mobile phone/pet ownership; football team; height of children compared with 1830s). There are on-line classroom activities that will enable the findings to be analysed using statistical techniques. The results from CensusAtSchool attracted major national and regional press coverage when released in February. The national findings are available on the website www.censusatschool.ntu.ac.uk for schools to make comparisons of local and national trends. Census In School is an educational package for teachers containing modules dealing with the use of Census information which is mapped to the National Curriculum. A CD-ROM version is attached to each pack, and these have been distributed to both junior and secondary schools.

Date

28 March 2001

Reference

146679; 365 c645W;365 c645-6W

House

House of Commons

Treasury;Office for National Statistics

To ask Mr 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. - Including text of letter from Len Cook of the Office for National Statistics and figure. (Holding answer 23 March 2001).

Asked by

Richard Ottaway (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

27 March 2001

Reference

365 c535-6W;365 c537-8W; 155252

House

House of Commons

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Legislation

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