Outcome of the EU Referendum

Debate between Baroness Kramer and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Monday 27th June 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach (Con)]

My Lords, if we go round the House, it is actually the turn of the Liberal Benches.

[Baroness Kramer (LD)]

My Lords, I am very much concerned about some of the complacency that I am currently hearing from the Government. Since the noble Baroness the Leader of the House and others on the Conservative Benches have the opportunity for direct conversation with the collection of MPs, one of whom will be our future Prime Minister, would they convey this? The City is already making its decisions, as are major businesses. Most of them started planning for the contingency of leave months ago. Over the weekend, we have heard very clearly, and the CBI have confirmed, that many major firms have put on a hiring freeze. Others are now reassuring their shareholders that they have plans in place to be able to move significant parts of their operations to continental Europe or Ireland. If they do not hear a clear commitment, a cast-iron guarantee, in a matter of days—possibly weeks, but certainly not months—from that group from which the Prime Minister will come, that we will remain wholly in the single market, the decisions will become irreversible. Many already are and the remainder and many more will happen. Complacency is not safe.

Census

Debate between Baroness Kramer and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Monday 13th June 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Kramer]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of postcodes in England and Wales will be covered by the 2011 Census Coverage Survey, and what are the anticipated benefits and costs of the Survey.

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

My Lords, the current Office for National Statistics census coverage survey is a validation exercise that will greatly enhance the statistical authority and value of the census. It will cover some 17,000 postcodes across England and Wales. This represents a sample of 1.3 per cent of all postcodes in England and Wales, and will cover some 330,000 addresses. The cost of the field operation of the survey is estimated to be £6.5 million, representing around 1.3 per cent of the total census costs. The cost for the processing of the information collected in the survey is included in the overall cost of the processing operation.

[Baroness Kramer]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that very full Answer. However, he will be aware that this is a survey of people who have filled out the census form and about whom no questions have been raised as to accuracy. They are required to stand on a doorstep for 10 minutes, answering personal questions from a complete stranger. If someone refuses to answer, surveyors are instructed to return as many as 10 times to wear them down into answering this survey. As someone said to me, it is fascinating to watch an exercise that not only wastes public money but manages to alienate the public. Will the Minister give us a guarantee that future evaluations of the census will be proportionate, targeted and designed—please—with a dose of common sense?

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I am sorry that my noble friend takes that view of this exercise, which is a valuable part of the census. I understand her concern about intrusiveness; these things are not taken in hand lightly. However, the survey is a vital element of the whole of the 2011 census operation. It is necessary in order to assess the extent of any undercount, and to provide information on those persons missed in the census to adjust the final estimates so as to enable all the resulting statistics to relate to the whole population.