Questions about the census

The following information was put together for the 2011 Census and serves as a guide to the Census process.

 


What is the Census?
The Census is a nationwide count of the population. It takes place every ten years and has done so since 1801, except for 1941.

 

When will the 2011 Census take place?

The 2011 Census will take place on Sunday 27th March 2011. The forms will be sent out around two weeks in advance and you should fill them in to include whoever is normally in the household, and include any overnight visitors, on Sunday 27th March. Forms should be completed and returned as soon after this date as possible, or even before the day if you like.

 

What if I have not received a form or I need a replacement or Continuation Form?

If you haven't received a form, you need a replacement, or you need a Continuation Form because there were more than six residents and/or more than three visitors on Census Day, you need to request one from the Census. This can be done on the helpline 0300 0201 101 or from the "Request a questionnaire" link on the main website www.census.gov.uk.

 

What if I am away?

Because the forms can be filled in as soon as they arrive in the run up to Census Day and returns will be accepted a few weeks after Census Day you will still be able to take part unless you are away for a long time. You should include information about the people who are "normally resident" (see below) at your address, even if they happen to be away on the day. If you are staying at another address in the UK on the day you should be included as a visitor at that address, and also on the form for your normal address.

 

Who is "normally resident" and who is a visitor?

Normally Resident: If the address is the permanent or family home of the individual they are considered "normally resident". This includes babies born on or before 27 March 2011 (but not after), and also schoolchildren and students who live away during term time.

 

Similarly it includes members of the armed forces, and other individuals who work away from home (in the UK), if it is their permanent or family home. It also includes housemates, tenants and lodgers. Other than this people who usually live outside the UK but are staying in the UK for 3 months or more should be included, as should anyone who is temporarily outside the UK for less than 12 months, plus anyone else who would normally be there but happens to be away temporarily, and finally UK resident people who may be staying at the address temporarily but who do not have any other address. The address on the form may be an empty property, a second home, or a holiday home - in this case this should be indicated, and anyone staying there on Census Day is considered a visitor.

 

Visitor: Basically anyone who is "normally resident" somewhere else (see above), for example boyfriends, girlfriends, friends and relatives. It could be everyone if the address is a second home or a holiday home. Also include people who normally live outside the UK and are in the UK for less than 3 months and people who are there on holiday. Anyone who is UK resident and included as a visitor should also be filled in on the form at their normal address too.

 

Who carries out the Census?
The Census is carried out by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The recruitment of roughly 35,000 staff is being handled by the resourcing firm Capita. Whilst in 2011 local councils no longer have a direct role in organising the Census they are still being relied upon to help engage their residents and assist in various ways.

 

What is the Census for?
The Census is used for planning services. Central government uses it, along with other information, to decide how much money an area should be given to provide services. For example, if the Census shows that an area has many older people, the local health service will know to spend more on services for them.

 

How does it affect me?
We all use public services such as schools, roads and health services. If people living in Brent are not counted in the 2011 Census, Brent Council will have less money to pay for these services.

 

What sort of information is collected?
Information is collected that can help us plan services. For example, knowing the number of people living in a house and the number of rooms that house has can tell us whether an area suffers from overcrowding. If we find out what jobs people do, we know what training should be provided. Knowing who uses a car tells us how much public transport is used. Asking about people's backgrounds means we can make sure services are provided fairly to all people. Getting a few details on visitors will ensure no-one is missed and give a snapshot of short term movements of people.

 

Is it a long form?
No, it is not very long - 32 pages - 4 pages for the household in general, 4 pages of questions about each individual person in the household, and a page of questions to get a few basic details about any visitors, plus a couple of notes and information. There are a total of 14 household questions, 37 for each individual, and 4 for each visitor.

 

I have a large household and/or lots of visitors - will the form be long enough?

There is enough room on the standard form for 6 individuals who are normally resident and 3 visitors, if you have any more than this there are two options: You can call the Census helpline on 0300 0201 101 or go to www.census.gov.uk and request a Continuation Questionnaire to put them on; or you can fill in the form online (see below) where there is already room for more.

 

Can I fill it in online?

You can no longer complete your census online. This service closed on 22 May 2011. You can, however, still complete your questionnaire on paper and post it back in the envelope provided.

 

Who sees the information I fill in?

Only the ONS have access to the information you put in the form. It is protected by law and will be kept private for 100 years. It is not shared with any other parts of the Government including the Borders Agency and Department of Work and Pensions, nor is it shared with the Police or local authorities. The results that are made public are carefully controlled to preserve privacy (see the next question). After 100 years it is made public and becomes a useful resource for people researching into their family history. 

 

What results are released to the public?
No information will be released about any individual or any particular household. The whole country is split into small areas containing around 125 neighbouring households, and definitely not less than 40 households or 100 individuals (whichever is the highest), and the information is released in the form of counts of traits in these areas. These areas are grouped together into larger ones where more detailed information is required, to prevent individuals becoming identifiable. Lastly, a technique known as "record swapping" will be used before any information is released to further protect individuals.

 

Where and when can I view the results?
The exact timetable has still to be decided, but there will definitely not be any release before March 2012. There is a huge amount of data collected and obviously this takes time to process. When the results are available, customers will be able to see them for free. The more detailed (in terms of information or smaller areas) results will take longer to release.

 

How will I be kept informed of developments?
There will be widespread publicity to keep you up to date.

 

I have trouble filling in forms, will I be able to get help?

For more information on the help that is still available, please visit the

Census website.

  

I still have concerns about the Census questionnaire, how the information I supply will be used, or whether help I need to fill in the form will be available. Who can I talk to about these concerns?

You can contact the Census Team at the council directly on census@brent.gov.uk or on 020 8937 2270, and they will do their best.

Updated 05/23/2011 12:54:56 PM