We move to item 3 on our agenda, which is subordinate legislation. Members should have received explanatory notes on the two instruments that we have in front of us. The lead committee on the instruments is the Justice and Home Affairs Committee. We are being asked to comment on the Census (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (SSI 2000/102) by 17 May, and on the draft Census (Scotland) Amendment Order 2000 by 18 May. We have noted that the points that we raised on religion and the expanded question on ethnicity have been included. Does the committee wish to make any further comment to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee?
The religious question is a voluntary question. We were asked whether we thought that that fact should be stated beside the question or somewhere else on the form; the committee thought that it should be stated somewhere else on the form, because, if it were included beside the question, that would encourage people not to answer it. I have had a look and I cannot find where the statement has been put.
We should ask for clarification on that and bring it to the attention of the lead committee before the deadline.
The front page of the document gives a census helpline number, but it should be stated clearly that calls to that number are free. Some people might assume that the helpline is free, but others might be deterred from getting help because they think they will have to pay for the call.
That is a fair point. Are we agreed that we should put those two points to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee?
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