Alliance demands answers over 'sectarian' census

12.00.00am GMT Wed 29th Jan 2003

Alliance Leader David Ford has written to Minister Ian Pearson to ask why the NI Statistics and Research Agency allocated almost 14 percent of the population here to religious categories they did not indicate any affiliation to.

Mr Ford said: "Almost 14 percent of the population chose not to declare themselves as having a religion, yet the vast majority of these were placed in the 'Catholic' or 'Protestant' categories."

"That is wrong and is a sad example of how public agencies can inadvertently promote sectarianism. I want to see every individual treated with equal respect, and have demanded to know the purpose of this enforced categorisation, who authorised it and how it is consistent with current human rights articles."

ENDS.