Subordinate Legislation Committee, 25 Jan 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 25, 2000

Official Report 69KB pdf

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Census (Scotland) Order (SSI 2000/Draft)

We move to the next item on the agenda. Do members have any comments? Some minor matters might be perplexing, and we should draw those to the Executive's attention, as we have in the past.

The instrument that is before the committee is subject to extremely unusual procedure. I understand from the briefing that we have received, that some of the articles are subject to the familiar draft affirmative procedure, while others are subject to the rare draft negative procedure. That means that some of the articles can be amended and some cannot. Might it be appropriate to ask the Executive whether it will, in future, find a means of removing that rather arcane and abstruse procedure in favour of one that is more simple?

I am also slightly concerned to note that, despite the estimated cost of the census exercise of £23 million, there does not seem to be a question about the Scots language included in the census order. That is not a direct concern of the committee, but it is of concern to a number of campaigners; a question about Gaelic speakers will be included. I am concerned that the abstruse nature of the procedure might hamper the efforts of those who want the draft statutory instrument to be amended so that it is not too late to include a question in the census about the Scots language.

I hope that the complexity of the procedure will not be used to prevent campaigners on the Scots language from trying to persuade the Executive to think again on the matter.

As the Scottish Parliament has just been established, this would have been a good opportunity to have an overall look at census procedures, some of which seem to be rather arcane. It would be sensible to take an opportunity to overhaul the census process before the next one, despite the fact that the next one will not be for 10 years.

Serious consideration should be given to the questions that have been raised by Fergus Ewing, but another major issue on which questions have been raised is whether questions on religion should be included in the census. The Executive must consider such issues.

We will write to the Executive on those points so that the committee can try to be of assistance with this and future census orders.