The most recent census of the United Kingdom, known as the 2011 census, took place on 27 March 2011, a decade after the previous census. It was conducted on the same day in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure coherence and consistency.[1] The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for the census in England and Wales; the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) is responsible for the census in Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) conducted the census in Northern Ireland.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department formed in 2008 and which reports directly to Parliament. ONS is the UK Government's single largest statistical producer of independent statistics on the UK's economy and society, used to assist the planning and allocation of resources, policy-making and decision-making.[2] ONS designs, manages and runs the census in England and Wales.
First results from the 2011 Census, in the form of summary data for local authorities, are planned for release in September 2012 and will coincide with a standard publication of population statistics from ONS due at that time. More detailed results, for a range of statistical and administrative areas, will follow throughout 2013 and into 2014.[3]
Contents |
The Registrar General John Rickman conducted the first census of Great Britain’s population and was responsible for the ten-yearly reports published between 1801 and 1831. During the first 100 years of census taking, the population of England and Wales grew more than threefold, to around 32 million and a further 4.5 million or so in Scotland, where a separate census has been carried out since 1861.
From 1911 onwards, rapid social change, scientific breakthroughs and major world events impacted the structure of the population. A fire that destroyed census records in 1931 and the declaration of war in 1939, made the 1951 census hugely significant in recording 30 years of change over one of the most turbulent periods in British history.
The 1971 Census was run by the newly created Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS), a body formed by the merger of the General Register Office and Government Social Survey. In 1996, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) was formed by merging the Central Statistical Office (CSO), OPCS and the statistics division of the Department of Employment. In 2005, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced his intention to legislate for independence in statistics; a Bill was introduced and Royal Assent given in 2007 and the UK Statistics Authority was established in 2008.
The first census run by ONS was in 2001.[2]
A population census is a key instrument for assessing the needs of local communities. When related to other data sources such as housing or agricultural censuses, or sample surveys, the data becomes even more useful. Most countries of the world take censuses: the United Nations recommends that countries take a census at least once every ten years. Twenty-one out of 40 countries in Europe are engaged in the 2010-2011 census round[4] The design for the 2011 Census reflects changes in society since 2001 and asks questions to help paint a detailed demographic picture of England and Wales, as it stands on census day, 27 March. Data collected by the census is used to provide statistical outputs which central government uses to plan and allocate local authority services funding, and which local authorities themselves use to identify and meet the needs of their local communities. Other organisations that use census data include healthcare organisations, community groups, researchers and businesses. The questionnaires, including people’s personal information, are kept confidential for 100 years before being released to the public, providing an important source of information for historical, demographic and genealogy research.[5]
The 2011 Census for England and Wales included around 25 million households. Questionnaires were posted out to all households, using a national address register compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) with the help of local authorities through comparisons of the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) and the Royal Mail and Ordnance Survey national address products.
People could complete and submit their questionnaire online, or fill it in on paper and post it back in a pre-addressed envelope. Guidance was provided online and through the census helpline. Completed questionnaires were electronically tracked and field staff followed up with households that did not return a questionnaire. Special arrangements were made to count people living in communal establishments such as; boarding schools, prisons, military bases, hospitals, care homes, student halls of residence, hotels, royal apartments and embassies, as well as for particular communities; rough sleepers, travellers and those living on waterways. In these cases field staff delivered and collected questionniares and, where needed, provided advice or assistance in completing the questionniare.
There was a legal requirement to complete the 2011 Census questionnaire, under the terms of the Census Act 1920. As at 27 March 2011 everyone who had lived or intended to live in the country for three months or more was required to complete a questionnaire. Failure to return a completed questionnaire could lead to a fine and criminal record.
Lockheed Martin UK, the UK arm of US-based aerospace, defence, security, and technology company Lockheed Martin was awarded the contract to provide services for the census involves questionnaire printing, providing a customer contact centre and data capture and processing. The contract is valued at £150 million, approximately one third of the total £482 million census budget.
Concerns were raised during contract negotiations that the US PATRIOT Act could be used to force Lockheed Martin to reveal census data to US authorities.[6] The Cabinet Office state that Lockheed Martin will "develop the systems" used to process census data, but that "in essence ... neither Lockheed Martin UK nor any Lockheed Martin employee will have access to personal Census data."[7] The Office of National Statistics stated that no personal census information will ever leave the UK or be seen by any American-owned company.[8]
Several groups called for a boycott of the census over the involvement of Lockheed Martin, including the Stop the War Coalition,[9] the Christian thinktank Ekklesia[9] The groups are concerned about sharing data with a company involved in surveillance and data processing for the CIA and FBI; and also providing funding to an arms company which makes nuclear missiles and cluster bombs.[9] The Green Party also objects, and campaigned unsuccessfully to stop Lockheed Martin getting the contract, although no decision was made about whether or not to call for a boycott. The Census Alert campaign group also decided against calling for a boycott.[10]
Liberal Conspiracy said a boycott would be counter-productive, as the Census is used to distribute funding to local services. Liberal Conspiracy reports that a council may lose £22,000 over 10 years for each person who does not complete the census.[11]
In Scotland, a wholly owned subsidiary of information technology company CACI was contracted to gather information. CACI "provided interrogators who worked at Abu Ghraib prison at the height of the prisoner abuse scandal".[12]
The census for England and Wales was trialled in 135,000 households in Lancaster, the London Borough of Newham and Anglesey on 11 October 2009. A test was also carried out in Birmingham at the same time.[13] The questions for the 2011 Census are the same as those trialled in the 2009 Census Rehearsal. The Order for the 2011 Census (including the proposed question topics, census date and who should complete the questionnaire) was laid before Parliament in October 2009 and was approved by Parliament and became law in December 2009.
Capita Group was contracted by ONS to recruit, train and administer the pay for the 35,000 temporary ONS workers who worked as field staff for the 2011 Census.[14]
The cost of the 2011 census is £482m, over double the £210m spent of the 2001 census.[15] This breaks down to a cost of 87 pence per person, per year (over the life of the census – ten years). “The cost equates to about 87p a year per person, demonstrating excellent value for money. The per capita costs in the UK are less than for many other European countries that carry out similar censuses. In summary, this census will meet crucial requirements for statistical information that Government and others cannot do without.” Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Angela E. Smith).[16]
In July 2010, the government asked ONS to explore other methods of measuring the population. The objectives of the Beyond 2011 project are to assess the feasibility of improving UK population statistics using integrated data sources to replace or complement existing approaches - and whether alternative data sources can provide the priority statistics on the characteristics of small populations typically provided by a census. The project will report its findings and recommendations in 2014.
The general style of the questionnaire is similar to that of the 2001 census. A rehearsal questionnaire was released in 2009. Several new identity and status options were included for the first time. Other changes for 2011 included:
In 2001 only 38 people were reported to have been prosecuted for refusing to complete a questionnaire. In 2011 those who refused to complete the census questionnaire or included false information could face a fine of up to £1,000. A team of compliance staff were recruited to follow up by visiting those householders who refused to complete a questionniare or where their questionnaire was not returned or completed correctly.[25]
In the 2001 UK census, circa 37,000 people recorded their identity as Cornish by manually writing it on the form (6% of Cornish residents).[26] However, in the 2011 census, despite campaigns, still no tick-box was provided to select Cornish as an identity.[27][28] As a consequence, posters were created by the census organisation and Cornwall Council which advised residents of how they could identify themselves as Cornish by writing it in the national identity, ethnicity and main language sections. [29] Additionally, people could record Cornwall as their country of birth.[30]
Like other identities, Cornish has an allocated census code, (06) the same as for 2001,[31] which will apply and will be counted throughout Britain.[32]
Advertising promoted the notion of how the UK 2011 census would help to shape Britain's future in areas such as healthcare and education. TV adverts, for example, depicted Origami, in census colours, forming objects including school computers and buses. A short sentence under the census logo informed the viewer that the census was a duty that must be undertaken. From 7 April 2011 advertising focussed on reminding people to complete and return by post or submit online.
While in opposition, the Conservatives termed the census as a "sex snoopers charter", accusing it of infringing on privacy.[25] However, once in government they did not propose any changes to the census questions.
In a Commons Debate on population and the traditional enumeration methodology of the 2011 Census, Conservative Party Chairman and MP for Horsham Francis Maude, said “The current advice from the ONS is clear. Census alternatives are not sufficiently developed to provide now the information required to meet essential UK and EU requirements. It is therefore important that the census goes ahead in England and Wales on 27 March 2011. ONS must do all it can to ensure it is a success." [33]
During the consultation on the 2011 census the British Humanist Association raised several concerns about question 20, "What is your religion?". The BHA argued it was a leading question, and suggested that it should be phrased as two questions, "Do you have a religion?" and "If so, what is it?". It contended that by placing the religion question near the ethnicity question it would encourage some responders to associate religion with cultural identity. The BHA also ran adverts during March 2011 encouraging the use of the 'no religion' box in the questionnaire[34]
Scotland's census in 2011 also asked 13 household questions and up to 35 questions for each individual. Plans were rehearsed in west Edinburgh, Lewis and Harris.[35]
The 2011 census was the first to include a question asking about the ability to read, write and understand the Scots language alongside the question for ability in Scottish Gaelic and English languages.
| Preceded by 2001 |
UK Census 2011 |
Succeeded by 2021 |