Introduction
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The Fifteenth Census of the population of England and Wales was taken on the 8th April 1951. The figures provided in this Preliminary Report, in order to meet the more urgent needs, are provisional and relate to the numbers only, by sex, of the population for England and for Wales as a whole and for an extensive series of local areas. They are derived from local summaries rapidly compiled and then assembled centrally and they are subject to confirmation in the substantive Census Reports which are based upon a central check of the actual Census returns. Judging by past experience, although the figures are provisional, material discrepancies are unlikely. Censuses were also taken on the same date by the appropriate authorities in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands and in the Irish Republic. For the last occasion of simultaneous counts (or even counts in the same year) in all these areas it is necessary to go back forty years, to the Censuses of 1911. The previous (Fourteenth) Census of England and Wales was taken in April, 1931. There was thus, for the first time since the series began in 1801, an interval of twenty years instead of the customary ten. The unprecedented length of the interval, the limited scope of the 1931 Census and the far-reaching changes in legislation arid in social conditions since 1931 all had their influence on the range and content of the Census of 1951. It was then inevitable that the scope of the 1951 Census should be as wide as was reasonably practicable. In spite of the increasing body of statistical data available from other sources and of the increasing use nowadays of other methods of obtaining necessary basic material for purposes of government and business, a periodical census of the whole population still remains a unique and indispensable instrument for gaining knowledge about the nation and its attributes. Far from becoming outmoded throughout the world, it is both spreading to countries that have hitherto not had one and also being more intensively used by those that have. It provides an essential base line for many statistical series and purposes and it alone takes account of every individual in the country at one point in time and can relate any selected attribute, or combination of attributes, to the totality of persons of any particular type. The 1931 Census had been restricted for reasons of economy and because it was then intended to take a Census in 1936 and thereafter quinquennially. For reasons of economy too the project for a Census in 1936 had been dropped and so the-questions left out of the 1931 Census could not be put. The war had prevented a Census in 1941. The 'quinquennial year' 1946 was too soon after the war because the population had not had enough time to settle down again, the Census organization both central and local was in no shape to undertake the task even if user Departments, organizations and individuals could have formulated clearly what they wanted, and in any case a Census in favourable conditions calls for the best part of two years' preparation in advance. Fortunately, although much of the information needed for Census correlations had not been obtained since 1931, some of it not since 1921, some not since 1911, and some never before, the position as regards estimation of numbers alone by sex and age for local areas was less difficult because of additional information derived from the National Register, both on a current basis as regards net movement in and out of areas and also as a valuable statistical by-product of the original registration of civilians on the 29th September, 1939. A balance of practical considerations led to the conclusion that, despite some intermittent pressure for an earlier date, the first post-war Census should be either in 1950 or in 1951 (the next normal year in the decennial series) and in the event the latter year was chosen. The main preparations were begun early in 1949. A full account will eventually appear in the General Report on the 1951 Census. Those which concern the framing of the Questions and the process of enumeration are briefly described below. One formidable task was begun as early as the spring of 1948, namely, the full revision of the List and Classification of Occupations so as to take account of the many changes in 20 years including the development of new trades and industries. Further reference is made later to this and to the Industrial Classification. The Questions.—
The recent Census was, naturally, no exception to the rule that more suggestions for Census inquiries are received than can possibly be fitted into any practical programme even if they pass the test of reasonable need and are limited, as a Census inquiry should be, to simple facts within the knowledge of the individual and not affecting emotions or seeking opinions. Many consultations, both oral and written, were held with numerous Government Departments and account was also taken of the relevant recommendations in the Report of the Royal Commission on Population and of suggestions from other sources. The programme of inquiries as it eventually emerged was the largest ever attempted in this country at one time, although it contained little that was wholly new. Questions as to sex, age, marital condition, relation to head of household, birthplace, nationality, number of rooms occupied by household, occupation, industry and, in Wales and Monmouth, the inquiry on the Welsh language, were included much as before. The question on usual residence was in the same form as in 1931, when it was first put. The answers will be used to establish, for each borough and county district, the number of persons who were enumerated there but had a usual residence elsewhere in England and Wales and also the number of persons who were enumerated elsewhere in England and Wales but had a usual residence in the borough or district. This information enables the enumerated population to be adjusted so as to provide a base for the Registrar General's estimates of local populations, which relate to the resident
population. A question on place of work was included which had previously been asked in 1921. This will enable the tables showing the local working populations to be constructed on the basis or me area in which they work, which is in this context a more useful and realistic basis than the area of enumeration. It will also provide, as in 1921, some evidence of the volume of the daily journey to work between one local government area and another. While the questions on occupation and industry were retained without much alteration, it was decided, having regard to existing trends in employment, to elicit more specific information in certain cases. Thus persons who were working "Part-time" were asked to say so specifically, as also were persons working as apprentices or articled pupils, or chiefly occupied in giving unpaid help to the head of a family business. Two short questions on education were included. The first, whether at present receiving full time or part time education at an educational establishment, repeated a question of 1921. The second, asking those who had completed their full time education to state the age at which it ceased, was quite new and was addressed only to those persons returned as gainfully occupied. The object is to get a broad indication of the level and type of education received. Some Census Officers reported that this question was often misunderstood by householders. Such efforts as were feasible were made to remedy this but it is too early to say how far they were successful or how far the usefulness of the replies as a whole will be impaired. Both questions provide material which can be tabulated with other answers relating to, e.g., occupation and should thus provide some significant relationships between education and other attributes. The question on the number of rooms occupied by the householder was on the same lines as before, and arrangements were made as before for a record to be made, during the enumeration, of the number of households occupying structurally separate dwellings, that is, houses or flats or other quarters built or adapted for separate occupation and forming a private and structurally separate unit. Additional and quite new questions inquired whether each household had exclusive use of, or shared with another household, or lacked entirely, piped water supply within the house, cooking stove or range, kitchen sink, water closet, fixed bath. The answers to these questions may be expected to supply further useful information on housing conditions. The remaining questions in the 1951 Census related to duration of marriage and number of children. Questions of this nature had been asked in 1911, but not subsequently. In 1921 it was more important to obtain information about dependents, and to include both types of question would have created confusion. In 1931 the scope of the Census was restricted and also the view was taken that the means of studying fertility should be extended by suitable amendments of the law relating to registration of births and deaths. New material is now required to bring up to date the study begun in 1911 and to complete the picture obtained from the additional facts obtained at birth and death registrations under the Population (Statistics) Act, 1938. The questions asked in the 1951 Census relate only to married women under the age of 50; it was considered that sufficient information about the experience of women over 50 was available from the 10 per cent, sample Family Census, conducted on behalf of the Royal Commission on Population in 1946. The women concerned were asked to give the date of their marriage, and, if married more than once, the date of their first marriage also. They were also asked to state the total number of children born alive to them in marriage. A subsidiary question, included for convenience, was whether a child had been born during the twelve months preceding Census day; the object was to enable a special study to be made of the births in this period before Census day in relation to the other Census information which is fuller and more easily handled than that obtained at birth registration. Some fears were expressed both in Parliament and elsewhere that these questions might be resented. Careful and repeated explanations of their purpose and limitations were given through the Press and in other ways and in the result they were generally accepted as reasonable, just as there has been general acceptance of the more intimate questions asked on registration of births under the Act of 1938. Arrangements were made to obtain from the National Register information as to the extent and direction of changes of residence within the country over a period, thus obviating the need to include a question on this in the Census. The 1951 Census schedule as finally approved contained 24 questions1
, as against a total of 15 in 1921, and 13 in 1931. But some of these applied only to the household taken as a whole and of the others many did not apply to most members of the household. On average not more than 12 or so questions needed to be answered for one individual adult. Order in Council.—
In accordance with the statutory procedure a draft Order in Council prescribing the date of the Census, the persons by whom and with respect to whom the returns were to be made, and the substance of the questions to be asked1
, was laid before Parliament on the 15th June, 1950. A resolution was tabled by the Government as requisite in both Houses to confirm the inclusion of the question on age of completion of full time education at an educational establishment and the question asking married women who had been married more than once to give the date of their first marriage. The draft Order was debated at some length in the House of Commons on the 11th July, 1950, and in the House of Lords on the 17th July, 1950, and was in each case approved without a division. The Census Order, 19502
, was duly made by His Majesty in Council on the 28th July, 1950. Regulations.—
The detailed machinery for the taking of the Census and the precise forms of return to be used in all cases were prescribed in the Census Regulations, 19503
, which were signed by the Minister of Health on the 15th December, 1950, and laid before Parliament on the following day. Local Organization.—
(a) Registrars.—
As at every previous Census since 1841, the local arrangements for the enumeration were based on the area covered by the local registrar of births and deaths. In the main the registrars acted as Census Officers, but some were displaced or excused from acting at various stages because of disability, the burden of their regular duties or personal reasons. In the 1,225 areas, 101 substitutes had been appointed by the conclusion of the local operations; of these, 57 (including 5 ex-registrars) were found from other persons associated with the registration service. There were no specific duties imposed on superintendent registrars but they were invited, and in most cases agreed, to act as honorary Census Advisory Officers and rendered much assistance to the registrars by way of informal help and advice in such matters as liaison with other authorities, dealing with some of the queries from the public, which were extremely heavy in the few weeks about Census day, and in many cases co-ordinating local activities on a voluntary basis. The duties undertaken by the registrars as Census Officers fall into various phases. There was the division of their area into suitable enumeration districts, with the help of large scale maps and various information and instructions supplied by the Department and other material (e.g. as to war damage and new development) furnished by the local authorities, to whose generous help in this and other matters we are much indebted. Enumeration districts ought in the first place to be of a size which one enumerator can conveniently handle and they must also fit in with the jig-saw of local boundaries of various types in order to simplify the production of Census figures for the several kinds of local areas. Next came the selection and appointment of the enumerators, then the study of the full instructions for the actual enumeration process, passing these on with all necessary documents to the enumerators and generally ensuring that the enumeration was carried through according to plan. After collection, there was the checking of the schedules, compilation of population summaries and completion of certain clerical processes, which had been decentralized in order to take advantage of local knowledge, and the despatch of the completed schedules and other documents to the central Census Office. Finally there is the accounting side; all the enumerators were paid in April the basic fee for their services by the registrars who received a lump sum for their area (the balance being payable in June or July after the checking of returns, claims for mileage, etc.). All these duties were undertaken in addition to the normal work of registration and spread over some twelve months, beginning with the first stage in the summer of 1950. For this registrars received, in addition to their normal salaries, ad hoc remuneration proportionate to the amount of Census work involved. (b) Enumerators
.—The quality of the Census results can be no higher than the quality of the answers supplied by the public allows, and the completeness and sufficiency of the enumeration depends a great deal upon the efforts and personal qualities of the individual enumerators. They should therefore be persons capable of understanding and working on instructions which are necessarily rather complex, as they attempt to provide an answer for every likely set of circumstances but in some cases can only give a general indication of what is required rather than a precise directive. They must also be persons of discretion and tact so as to win the full co-operation and confidence of the individual. They must be reasonably fit physically, for they have to visit each household at least
twice. In country areas all this may mean walking many miles, often over difficult ground, and in towns there may be much arduous stair-climbing in blocks of flats. Moreover, since the Census operations must conform to a strict time table, these duties have to be performed whatever the prevailing weather. In addition to all these activities, the enumerators must complete an Enumeration Book which contains a detailed record of the district giving the provisional count and other essential facts exactly as they were at Census Day. Neat and legible handwriting is therefore an additional important qualification. There is thus far more in the enumerators' duties than the distribution and collection of the Census schedules. It is obviously necessary to appoint the enumerators some weeks before Census day. They need time to master their instructions and to reconnoitre and plan the enumeration of their district. They must be able to be relied upon for duty when the time comes, for the Census must be taken simultaneously everywhere and it must not be left to chance whether enumerators are then available. Since the Census is a rare event, there is no question of a standing corps to be called on when needed, and there is no power to call upon any particular class of persons to serve. The enumerators must be chosen from persons who come forward voluntarily to undertake the job. The payment cannot be large, for the work is spread over some two or three weeks only. All these considerations must be kept fully in mind when arrangements are made to recruit enumerators. The Department is always subjected to much pressure on behalf of various deserving classes of the population, such as the disabled, the retired or those who are out of work. It would clearly be quite wrong to recruit such persons solely or even primarily because they are deserving of sympathy, The dominant consideration must be to recruit persons who are fully capable of performing the task and can be relied upon to be available to do it when the time comes. The Department's instructions to registrars asked that, in selecting applicants for the post of enumerator, special consideration should be given to unemployed persons of the right type provided they could be relied upon to act when required. Arrangements had been made with the Ministry of Labour and National Service for managers of local Employment Exchanges and Appointments Officers to be provided with a statement of the qualifications and duties involved in order that they could prepare lists of suitable persons registered with them for employment. Census Officers were advised to consult Exchange Managers, and in many areas they received valuable assistance in the examination of applications and the selection of enumerators. Of course general conditions as regards employment differed greatly from those at the time of the Census of 1931, and at the present time there is more public concern with finding suitable work for retired people. No age bar was imposed in the selection of applicants, but, as the work required physical fitness, Census Officers were required to satisfy themselves that any applicants over 60 years of age were fully competent in that respect. This condition was made because no undue risk of last-minute breakdown could be accepted. It is not easy to find and instruct a suitable enumerator at short notice. At the time when instructions as to recruitment were issued to Census Officers, communications were addressed to all local authorities asking them to give favourable consideration to requests from any members of their staff who wished to serve as enumerators. The Treasury wrote to all Government Departments calling their attention to the need for enumerators. The Ministry of Education communicated with local education authorities asking for teachers to be released to serve where possible. Grateful acknowledgement is made of the valuable co-operation received from these various authorities, very few of whom refused to give their help in this way. As a result of these arrangements, and a greater degree of publicity than had been anticipated when they were made, an almost embarrassing number oi volunteers came forward (many with a very slight knowledge of what the duties were likely to involve) especially in the urban areas. Census Officers did their best to pick the most suitable among the first comers, but they could not undertake to interview many hundreds of people for a job of such short duration. They were able to make up their list very quickly with suitable people, but it must have frequently been the case that equally suitable people were not appointed. This was inevitable in the circumstances and no reflection on those rejected. There were, after all, only a very limited number of posts to be filled in any one area. As on other occasions, it remained a matter of anxiety and difficulty to find enumerators for the remoter country areas where the population is small and the total remuneration accordingly lower, and in the country villages it was generally necessary to engage a local resident. Not only would strangers not be able to find their way to every household, but in any case very few indeed could be found to undertake the work in an unfamiliar country area away from home. Thus in these areas the stark necessities of the case militated against observance of the principle that wherever possible enumerators should not be allocated to districts where they are known to the inhabitants generally. There were 49,315 enumerators appointed in England and Wales; of these about 20 per cent. were women of whom about a third were housewives. As on most previous occasions, except in 1931, local government officers provided the largest number, about 32 per cent. These officers are particularly suitable from their knowledge of local areas as well as their familiarity with administration. Civil Servants on this occasion provided some 23 per cent,, a considerable increase; this is probably due to the dispersal of sections of head offices and the increase in the number of regional and local offices, which make their services available over a much wider field than previously. Teachers provided 7 per cent. Some 7 per cent, were drawn from the retired and 2 per cent, from the unemployed. Of the total number, less than I per cent, were under 20 (mostly students and local government officers), and about 10 per cent, were over 60. One enumerator aged 81 had served previously at the Censuses of 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921, 1931 and in the National Registration of 1939. Basis of the Enumeration.—
The basis for by far the greater part of the enumeration was, as before, the private household, which may be defined broadly as one or more persons separately occupying a house or part of a house, flat, apartment, etc. Thus a boarder or visitor was counted as part of the household, but a lodger who -did not board with the household was regarded as constituting a separate household for Census purposes. The duty of completing the schedule devolved upon the head of the household. Hotel managers, boarding house proprietors, the chief resident officer or other person for the time being in charge of a hospital, nursing home, sanatorium educational establishment, governors of prisons, masters of ships or other vessels were responsible for the enumeration of the persons in their care. All persons in defence establishments including naval ships (whether serving personnel, civilian employees or dependents) were enumerated under arrangements made by the Admiralty, Army Council or Air Council in consultation with the General Register Office, the responsibility falling to the officer commanding each separate unit Special arrangements were made for travellers and others not in a settled place of residence on Census night. Separate returns.—
The responsibility for establishing the population present at Census time falls to the householder, hotel manager, etc., responsible for filling up the schedule This has been so for many Censuses, but in recognition of the fact that it can create embarrassment to some individuals to give details of themselves to those under whose roof they live as a member of the household limited provision was made in the 1921 and 1931 Censuses for allowing people to ask to make a separate confidential return which would not be seen by the head of the household with whom they lived. On this latest occasion the procedure was both broadened and simplified with the intention of enabling anyone, with a few necessary exceptions to make a separate return if he or she judged this to be really necessary. Strict control was retained over the procedure so as to ensure that any such return was in due course linked up for statistical use with the return for the household to which the person belonged. The separate return was handed direct to the enumerator, or left for him in a sealed envelope if so desired, and the enumerator scrutinised it in pursuance of his duty as with all other returns. The efficiency of the Census enumeration depends on the enumerator carrying out his various duties of collection, scrutiny of schedules and accounting for every habitation as near to Census day as possible. Any marked departure from this would lead to a serious falling off in quality and an added risk of duplication or omission. The public therefore have to trust, the enumerator. This was generally accepted by the public, but there were some who pressed to be allowed to hand their separate returns to the registrar or send them by post to the Registrar General. While it is not claimed that the present procedure of obtaining returns is incapable of improvement, it is difficult to see how such requests could be met (or the allied suggestion of a separate return for everyone) without fundamental and far-reaching changes in the system and without a very considerable addition to the cost of the Census. Publicity.—
The quality of the Census depends not merely upon legal machinery but upon the willing and understanding co-operation of the public. The delivery of a schedule to every responsible person is not enough. The individual citizen should understand what the Census is, how it affects him and what part he has to play. He (or she) should be brought to realize that it is a national operation which every organized country finds essential at fixed intervals and that it provides basic information which in one way or another benefits all and injures none. What is needed is willing help. The legal sanctions remain unobtrusively in general reserve and are but rarely needed. There is therefore a real necessity for suitable publicity about the Census and its aims. Every effort was made to give the Press what information was available as the various operations took shape. A number of conferences was held, one of which, in February, 1951, was devoted mainly to those aspects of the Census of particular interest to women. Feature-writers were briefed and in addition a great deal of information was supplied to newspapers and agencies. The result was a sustained flow of news and articles in the weekly and other periodicals and in the daily newspapers, both national and local. The value of this discussion in the Press cannot be exaggerated. Many false ideas were dispelled and much useful advice was given. There is no doubt that the Press brought home to the public what the Census stood for, aroused interest and co-operation and at the same time removed much suspicion founded on wrong conceptions. The British Broadcasting Corporation also helped greatly to ensure that the public were informed and receptive. After full discussion with the Department a programme was worked out which finally amounted to twenty sound features, adding up to 3½ hours on the air, with several television features in addition. Items appeared in the Home, Light and Third Programmes and included a "Focus" feature, a talk to the schools and other talks in "Women's Hour," "Can I Help You," "Topic For To-Night," etc., coverage in news bulletins, and finally a talk of 4½ minutes in "Radio Newsreel" on Census night. A booklet on the Census, illustrated from drawings by Cruikshank and others, was produced by the Central Office of Information in association with the General Register Office. It was entitled "April 8, 1951: The Census Explained" and was published by H.M. Stationery Office at the price of 6d
. The booklet was intended to give a serious, but not ponderous, exposition of the Census to interested members of the public but it was also very useful as a summing up of the official attitude to many aspects of the Census, an answer to enquirers and a source of information for the Press. Its value cannot be judged solely by its sales, though these were by no means negligible; it undoubtedly had a widespread and beneficial effect. Cinema audiences were not neglected. The Central Office of Information produced a cartoon film which conveyed a brief message on the Census and this was circulated with the newsreels. The newsreel companies were given special facilities for making Census features which were exhibited throughout the country at the appropriate time. Particular concern was paid to the personal problems which the Census raised for many individuals who were worried about the kind of information they would have to give or what answer they should give in certain circumstances. Many people wrote direct to the Department and a great many communicated with newspapers and periodicals which maintained a personal advisory service. Much information was supplied to these services and to such advisory bodies as the National Council of Social Service and the Citizens' Advice Bureaux, and the Department and the public are greatly indebted to them for disposing of many queries and dispelling many anxieties. Finally, acknowledgments are due to the assistance received from employers. In the 1921 and 1931 Censuses they had been approached, and many had agreed, to exhibit in their industrial premises posters which gave the particulars of the firm's name and the business carried on by them, in order that their employees should find it easier to give correct answers to the questions on industry. It was decided to repeat this request. A poster was designed and produced by the Central Office of Information and distributed by them to firms with a covering letter (reply prepaid) which the firms were asked to return with details of the particulars that would be entered on the poster; these were added to other relevant information in the possession of the Department and will help in the process of allocating each firm's business to the appropriate group in the Industrial Classification. The poster was simple but striking; it contained a space for the firm to insert its name, the business carried on and the address of the establishment in which the poster was to be exhibited, and a reminder to the individual employee to make arrangements for his or her Census form to be available for collection on the 9th April. With very few exceptions firms were very ready to assist, and the Department has derived much help both from the exhibition of the poster and from the information supplied by the firms as to the nature of their activities. The Enumeration.—
The enumeration went smoothly and with few exceptions the public Were most co-operative. The enumerators found the weather one of the main obstacles. It rained for most of the week before Census day, and on the Monday after (when the bulk of the forms should be collected) it rained steadily all day in nearly all districts. In consequence the enumerators were naturally reluctant to examine forms at the door, and some deficiencies in the quality and completeness of some answers may result; it is much more difficult to get deficiencies put right a few days after the schedules have been collected. In spite of the friendly assistance given by so many of the public, many enumerators found it extremely difficult to make contact with a residual few of the households in their district. There may have been only a dozen or so in most districts though possibly many more in some parts of the larger urban areas. Because of the number of calls which had to be made, particularly to collect the forms, the work of the enumerators was more onerous in some areas on this account than had been anticipated. It seems likely that this difficulty was greater than on previous Censuses, possibly because nowadays people tend for one reason or another to leave their homes unoccupied for longer periods. One factor clearly is the extent to which married women go out to work, but many evening visits also needed to be repeated. On the other hand, members of the public themselves were often most anxious to obtain a form where, as sometimes happened through some accident or misunderstanding, the enumerator had failed to give one out at the proper time. All such cases were investigated and steps at once taken to remedy any breakdowns of this nature. In most of these cases the reason was that there had been no one at home when the enumerator called. The early stages of the enumeration produced one unexpected difficulty. The question about the number of rooms occupied by the household has been included at every Census since 1891, and no earlier criticism had been made about its inclusion on this occasion. But when the enumerators were distributing the forms (the stage of the operations at which they were instructed to obtain this information) they found in some areas a widespread and quite unfounded suspicion that the question had some connection with possible billeting. As soon as this was reported, every use was made of the assistance of the Press, who had themselves picked this up as an item of news, to repeat the assurances already given that the whole of the Census information was strictly confidential, that nothing other than statistical information would be disclosed in any quarter, and then only in relation to groups. These timely assurances reinforcing those of the enumerators appear to have met with general success. There were very few refusals to complete the Census forms. Suitable action has been initiated in such cases. The exact number of sustained refusals cannot yet be stated but it can be taken as negligible. Census Reports.—
(a) Preliminary Tables
, The figures included in Part III of this Report are provisional and relate solely to the numbers by sexes of the population both for the country, as a whole and for administrative counties, county boroughs and county districts. As indicated already, these figures, which will serve to meet some of the more urgent purposes for which the Census results are awaited, have been obtained in advance of the main statistical operations direct from summaries supplied to the Department by the local Census Officers. They are subject to confirmation later in the substantive Census Reports, but on past experience no material discrepancy is to be expected. Part II of this Report consists of such brief statistical notes as it has been possible to compile in the time available concerning some salient features exhibited by the Tables. It will be seen that there is little variation between the Census figure of the total population and the estimates made by the Department. Some changes have been made in this Preliminary Report compared with its predecessors. The table of parliamentary constituencies has been omitted for the time being in order to save space and time, but the details will be given later in the County Volumes as previously. In Table II, figures are aggregated for the Standard Regions as at present constituted, and the table on Greater London (Table IV) has been extended to show the figures for five major provincial "conurbations'' which have recently been adopted for the presentation of official statistics. Figures are also included in Appendix A for the areas designated as New Towns under the New Towns Act. (b) Sample Analysis
.—An innovation is being introduced on this occasion which goes some way to meet the complaint that the national tabulations of the Census results are not available for two or three years. A copy has been made of one schedule in every hundred relating to private households, with an addition of one person in a hundred for the non-private population and from the i per cent, sample so obtained will be produced not only a quick snapshot of the chief features to be expected from the main Tables which will appear after the usual interval but also additional features of some importance. These sample results will not of course justify very detailed groupings for the country as a whole or presentation of facts by minor areas but will be in terms of a broad grouping of the various detailed categories which will be exhibited in the later results. It is intended to process this sample with all possible speed, with the object of publishing the figures within about a year from Census day. (c) Main Census Reports.—
The tabulation of the actual Census returns, which is a very big operation in the mere bulk alone of material to be handled, will be pressed forward as quickly as practicable, and the substantive Reports based on them will be issued as a series of publications. These will begin with the County series, which will appear in parts dealing with single counties or small groups of counties. They will contain statistics of special interest and value for local government or other local purposes, and will be produced first because the working of the Census machine can give some local results before the analysis for the country as a whole has been completed, the general aim being to publish results as soon as the requirements of an orderly programme make it possible. The series of national volumes dealing with particular subjects must inevitably follow the County series because they derive their material from the whole of the returns and cannot therefore be produced until processing has been completed. These will comprise volumes on occupation and industry, housing, fertility/ecclesiastical areas, workplaces, an index of place names (giving populations of defined areas) and a volume of general tables giving national summaries of certain sets of figures. Finally, a General Report will be written giving such general commentary on the operation as a whole and its statistical aspects as is not covered by the earlier volumes or otherwise seems expedient. Classifications of Occupation and Industry.—
The Occupational and Industrial Classifications have both been revised since 1931. The Occupational Classification was first drawn up for the 1921 Census on the lines now accepted as standard; this was reviewed and extended, in the light of experience, for the 1931 Census. For the present occasion a full revision was required in view of the changes introduced in twenty years of industrial development. As on former occasions a fully representative Inter-departmental Committee was set up in 1948 to examine the previous classification in detail and to settle with the assistance of the Departments affected what revisions were required, much valuable help being given by the representatives of the Ministry of Labour and National Service. Since the former Classification had long been out of print, it was decided, in view of its particular usefulness to medical and other research, to publish the Classification for the 1951 Census at once rather than wait for the general Census series to be published.4
The Industrial Classification had similarly been produced for 1921 and revised for 1931, and in view of the similar need for a modern standard classification which could be used by all Departments an Inter-departmental Committee was set up, with members drawn from the principal Departments collecting statistics, to prepare a new classification so as to promote greater uniformity and comparability in official statistics. After reviewing the classifications used for the 1931 Census, for the Census of Production, 1935, and for current statistics of employment and unemployment, and also the international classification produced under the auspices of the League of Nations in 1938, revised for the United Nations in 1947, the Standard Industrial Classification was drawn up and published.5
The Census industrial statistics will be presented on the basis of this Classification, but with a degree of detailed sub-division comparable to that given in the 1931 Tables; the full Census Classification will be published as a separate volume in the general Census series. Tabulations.—
The tables in which the Census results will be embodied have been fully discussed with the Departments concerned. In addition an even broader view has been obtained by an invitation to the Inter-departmental Committee on Social and Economic Research (which includes academic as well as Departmental members) to review the first draft of the tabulation proposals. Full consultation has also been maintained with Scotland in order to obtain the maximum degree of comparability in the main Census results throughout Great Britain. Acknowledgments.—
The foregoing account will have made it clear that the Census is a large scale co-operative enterprise calling for much work in many quarters. Mention has been made of the assistance given by the main user Departments in settling the content of the Questions, of the valuable help given by the Central Office of Information, of the heavy tasks falling to the local Census Officers which they performed with creditable zeal and despatch, of the sterling work of the enumerators in spite of inclement weather, and of the gratifying response of the Press and other agents of publicity, and finally of the public itself. The Service Departments undertook the actual enumeration, both at home and overseas, of serving personnel, civilian employees and dependents. H.M. Customs and Excise undertook the enumeration of shipping personnel within the ports. The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Railway Executive and the Road Haulage and Road Passenger Executives assisted in securing the enumeration of persons travelling over Census day. The Foreign Office used their good offices in various ways. H.M. Stationery Office had a very large task in the printing and planned distribution of many millions of Census schedules and other forms and documents. All of which, and much other help unspecified, is gratefully acknowledged. GEORGE NORTH, 20th June,
1951. 1
See Appendix C for an extract from the Second Schedule to the Census Order containing the substance of the questions. 2
S.I. 1950, No. 1269. 3
S.I. 1950, No. 2028. 4
Classification of Occupations, 1950
, prepared by the General Register Office and published by H.M. Stationery Office, 1951, price 13s. 6d. 5
Standard Industrial Classification
, prepared by the Central Statistical Office and published by H.M. Stationery Office, 1948, price 9d.
Part I—Introduction
Registrar General.