I was contacted by a reader regarding the 16-page consultation document on Manchester Airport Relief Road. It is distributed and managed by Stockport, Manchester and Cheshire East councils.

On the last page are six curious questions:

  • Are you a Gay man?
  • What colour are you?
  • What religion are you?
  • What sex are you?
  • Are you black, white or mixed?
  • How old are you?

Now, unless they are planning to build a mosque along this relief road I have no idea what relevance these questions have.

I am however a devoted fan of Homeland and know the significance of secret communication. (If there’s a turtle on the roof of Macc town hall be suspicious).

So, come on, give me a clue (you usually do) why would these councils want to know the sexual orientation of respondents?

Do they have some kind of points system where your opinion is upgraded or downgraded depending on your sexual preference? (I’ve always fancied Fiona Bruce but I’m not sure how it impacts on relief roads.)

The colour question really has me stumped. Are they suggesting brown people have an innate ability to comprehend civil engineering projects that white skinned individuals do not?

If you nipped into Halfords to buy a bike and they asked if you were gay you’d be within your rights to sue.

Any questions about your ethnicity and you could retire on the compo. So what’s with these councils? Why do they care if I’m a 35-year-old Anglo Saxon agnostic who makes all my own frocks?

What effect will it have on their relief road?

Come on, send me the answer. I rely on you to keep me informed.