Government will Demand to know People's Bedroom Habits - "State Intrusion of the Worst Kind"

Government pen-pushers will demand to know the bedroom habits of millions of Britons in an unprecedented intrusion into private life.  Anyone questioned about their job, the contents of their food basket or fuel bills, will soon also be asked whether they are straight, gay, bisexual or 'other'.

The Government's most senior statistician confirmed that the new question on sexual preference will be included in all major national surveys from next year.

The demand that individuals supply intimate personal details to officials comes at a time of deepening concern about the State's thirst for ever-greater amounts of private information - and worries over how that information is stored and used.

It also means that a question about sexual identity is now almost certain to be included in the next census, which will be held in 2011.  The move was last night condemned by MPs who described it as a gross invasion of privacy.

Former Tory Home Office minister Ann Widdecombe said: 'I would ask them to mind their own business. This is going completely over the top and is state intrusion of the very worst kind. I can't imagine that any citizen would want to be asked a question like this.

'It just goes to show the level of obsession there is out there with this subject.'