“Participation in the census is a legal responsibility. The census provides important information needed to invest in and operate on the services we all rely on. Every 10 years, the census collects vital information that helps the government and local authorities plan services such as health care, roads, and libraries. Reminder letters have been sent to all households across the country that have not yet completed the census, and field officers are visiting addresses that have not yet completed their declaration to offer advice and support. The most important function of census data is that the government uses it to distribute billions of pounds each year to local authorities and health authorities to ensure that people who need services can access them. In addition, government and local authorities are using the data to plan for future needs for housing, health and care, transportation and education across the country. Unlike most surveys, the census you are legally required to complete typically has an impressive completion rate, estimated at 94% in 2011. However, people are still absent from the census, sometimes because they cannot access a form or because they miss their families. This is especially true for babies under one year old, who are often absent in their family form.
Other groups that are often overlooked include young people aged 20 to 29, particularly those living in city centres, and older women. People who have not yet completed their census are reminded that it is their legal responsibility to do so and encouraged to seek help when they need it. Without the census, it would be much more difficult to provide the services that individuals and their communities need. In 2001, the census form was completed by 94% of the population in England and Wales, and a further 4% were identified by census counters, although the results still represent 100% of the population through cross-matching with a follow-up survey. [21] [22] The Census Act 1920 (as amended) provides for a fine of up to £1,000 for those who refuse to complete their census forms. The last census in the United Kingdom took place on 21 March 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. [2] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the census in Scotland has been postponed to 20 March 2022. [3] [4] The 2011 census was conducted on March 27, 2011.
Several identity and status questions were included in the census for the first time, including civil partnership questions. The first set of data from this census (basic censuses of population by age and sex) was made available in July 2012, followed by the other tables. [27] The 2021 census took place on March 21, 2021. On behalf of the government, the UK Statistics Agency has launched a research programme called Beyond 2011 to explore a range of alternative options for conducting a census in the UK in 2021. In 2021, there was not a single census covering the whole of the UK, as the census in Scotland was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [16] This is a brief guide for prosecutors working on criminal investigation files after the March 21 census. Due to the disruption caused by the Second World War, there was no census in 1941. However, following the passage of the National Registration Act 1939 on 5 September 1939, a population census was conducted on 29 September 1939. The resulting national register was then used to develop the central register of the National Health Service.
Censuses were taken in Britain on April 26, 1931, but the results for England and Wales were destroyed in an accidental fire during World War II. [9] The Census Act of 1920 ensures that we treat personal census data securely. It is a criminal offence for ONS employees or our suppliers to misuse personal census data. The Census Act 1920 contains a number of census-related offences. These crimes are investigated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and prosecuted by the CPS. A census is essentially a census of all persons and households. The Census Act 1920 requires everyone in England and Wales to participate in the census in accordance with the Ordinance and Regulations. The law makes it mandatory to answer questions. The Census (Return Details and Removal of Penalties) Act, 2019 amended the Census Act to allow new questions on sexual orientation and gender identity to be optional in future censuses. The Census Act had already been amended to make questions on religion optional. The Census Act of 1920 authorized the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to conduct a census in England and Wales. The Census Order and Census Regulations provide details for the 2021 census.
Unlike previous censuses, which were less inclusive (for example, for religious purposes), decennial national censuses of the general population began in 1801, approved by statistician John Rickman. Censuses were originally taken to determine the number of men who might fight in the Napoleonic Wars, and in part because of demographic concerns arising from Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus` 1798 An Essay on the Principle of Population.