List members may be interested in the current status of the question
on religion proposed for England and Wales in the 2001 census.
Including such a question would require changing the current law.
The Office of National Statistics originally hoped to see an enabling
bill in the government's legislative programme, but the Queen's
Speech-writers had other things on their minds. Arrangements are now
being made to introduce a Private Member's Bill in the House of
Lords; the ONS has been assured that the bill will receive government
support. The aim is to obtain royal assent by mid-March.
My personal view is that with the pressure of all the other business
announced yesterday on the Parliamentary timetable, they'll be lucky
to get it through.
The question that will or will not be included is the one discussed
previously on this list, namely "What is your religion?" "None /
Christian / Buddhist / Hindu / Jewish / Muslim / Sikh / Other". We
may not be happy about the monolithic Christian category, but that's
what was used in the census rehearsal earlier this year and they're
not going to change it now.
David Voas
----------------------
Department of Geography
University of Liverpool
Liverpool L69 7ZT
Great Britain
tel: +44 151 794 2840
fax: +44 151 794 2866
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