the census, question 17

[mollykins]

Dad worked out why it is blank but me and mum couldn't until he told us.

Any guesses or has anyone else worked out why question 17 is blank? If you don't get it on the first page of replies, i'll give you a clue.

[Arksided]

It's for the Welsh to figure out.

[venator]

I do know, but for those of us who get the blank question, what would you like to see asked?

[Dee Sa]

how many animals live in your house eg dogs,cats, rabbits, gerbels etc

[Prudie]

I know because I heard it on the radio and so did millions of others I expect. It's actually obvious once you know.

[cazzz1975]

"On the English form it is left intentionally blank, but on the Welsh form it says 'Do you speak Welsh?' The reason why it is left blank is to keep consistency across all the forms as we only have one scanner."

[bibblebub]

i know someone you can ask http://www.theanswerb...k/Question995727.html

[New Judge]

It is only included in then forms distributed to Welsh households and it asks if the respondent speaks or understands Welsh. The answer to this is that about 300,000 people at most do so and I don't really know why the authorities need to ask this. It is already widely known and it is useless information anyway.

A more valuable question would be to ask everybody in the UK whether they speak and understand English. But this would be equally useless as those that do not are most unlikely to be included in the survey.

[Prudie]

Cute ring-tailed lemur bibble may I say

[mollykins]

very funny bibble. Mum wasn't ammused when dad knew the answer and she didn't.

I've jsut told them that dad probably heard it on the radio :P that wiped the smug look off of his face, thanks prudie.

[ChuckFickens]

"A more valuable question would be to ask everybody in the UK whether they speak and understand English"

That's question 19.

[DTCwordfan]

It should also include "Who speaks Cornish"

I think its there to confuse Essex blondes - bet they have some blank stares when they 'read' it......

[DEN53]

Er, excuse me - Essex Blonde here......................so why is questin 17 blank ?

[ChuckFickens]

might as well make use of the space

http://farm6.static.f...6126_b190a608c2_z.jpg

[DEN53]

Chuck - that Question wasn't on my Form - <<winding blonde hair round finger>>>>

[mollykins]

It's a question applicable to only welsh asking their frist language or something . . .

[DTCwordfan]

well a lot would agree with you, mollie, it does seem that the welsh make a "frist" (sorry, fist) of their language.

[ChuckFickens]

Glad I'm an Essex Brunette(ish)!

[mollykins]

*first . . . .>.<

[DTCwordfan]

they could ask a sensible question like "how many chickens are resident in your garden on the 27th?" Or "How many pigs" and cross correlate that with the religious section............

[lady-janine]

dt surely cornish is a completely dead language - ok, apart from a few bards and wannabees but welsh is alive and well and is first languange for a lot of people. a lot of welsh live outside wales so surely the question should have been left in on all papers.