CENSUS IN WALES

Motion Text

That this House notes that a four year consultation process was carried out by the Statistical Directorate of the National Assembly for Wales (formerly the Welsh Office) between 1995 and 1999 before production of the 2001 census forms for Wales; further notes that regular liaison meetings were held during that period between the Statistical Directorate and the Welsh Language Board to discuss census issues in Wales and that the Chairman of the Welsh Language Board during that period was Lord Elis Thomas of Nant Conwy who is now Welsh Assembly Member for Merionnydd Nant Conwy and the Presiding Officer of the NAW; furthermore, deplores this failure by the Welsh Language Board Chairman to recognise the genuine wishes of the people of Wales to express their ethnicity in the 2001 census form; and calls upon the Government to provide a supplementary means to allow the people of Wales to indicate their ethnicity as well as their place of birth.