A LABOUR MP has questioned why there is not a "Black English" option in this year's census, despire respondents being able to choose "White English" as their ethnic group.
David Lammy previously accused bosses at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) of getting into a “muddle” over ethnicity options.
He pointed out that "White English" was an option, while those living in Wales could select “Black Welsh” and “Asian Welsh”.
Lammy told the Radio Times: "Why can’t I describe myself or my children as English on our census form? Black British yes, English no. You can be White English but you can’t be Black English.”
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The ONS said yesterday that after “testing various options” before this year’s census was held it found that, unlike in Wales, “the evidence did not support a change to include Black English in England”.
A spokeswoman for the ONS added: “After testing different options in England and Wales, we recommended a change in the Welsh questionnaire to include Black Welsh and Asian Welsh, alongside Black British and Asian British.”
She added: “The evidence did not support a change to include Black English in England.”
After the release of the census forms in March, Lammy said: “In the ‘ethnic category’ why can’t I be both Black Caribbean & English when I was born in London? Why can’t my kids be both mixed Black & White and English (their mother was born in Northampton)? Since when do you need to be White to be English?”
The census for England, Wales and Northern Ireland launched in March. Scotland's census is planned to take place in 2022.
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