Gibraltar Disability Society has issued a statement calling for Government to include questions regarding health conditions lasting or expecting to last 12 months or more in this year's Census.

A statement from the Gibraltar Disability Society follows below:

It was recently reported in the press that the Government intends to hold the 2022  Census in the autumn. The Disability Society would like to take the opportunity to  remind Government that, last year, we called for the census to include questions with  regard to health conditions lasting or expecting to last 12 months or more. The  Society wrote to the Chief Minister last year on the matter and was pleased to receive  a positive response. 

The UK census 2021 included the following questions: 

Do you have any physical or mental heath conditions or illnesses lasting or  expected to last 12 months or more? 

Do any of your conditions or illnesses reduce your ability to carry our day-to-day activities? 

Do you look after, or give any help or support to anyone because they have a  long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age? 

Perhaps the Government could confirm that it intends to have similar questions in the  local census. The lack of statistical data in Gibraltar, particularly on the issue of  disability, has always been concerning. Similar, possibly tailor made, questions in a  Gibraltar census would go a long way to addressing this issue.