United Kingdom Census 2011
Encyclopedia
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. 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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
, 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. 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." The Office of National Statistics stated that no personal census information will ever leave the UK or be seen by any American-owned company.
Several groups called for a boycott of the census over the involvement of Lockheed Martin, including the Stop the War Coalition
, the Christian thinktank Ekklesia
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. 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.
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.
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".
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. 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.
The cost of the 2011 census is £482m, over double the £210m spent of the 2001 census. 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).
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.
. 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 on 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.
as an identity. 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. Additionally, people could record Cornwall as their country of birth.
Like other identities, Cornish has an allocated census code, (06) the same as for 2001, which will apply and will be counted throughout Britain.
, 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.
termed the census as a "sex snoopers charter", accusing it of infringing on privacy
. 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."
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
, Lewis and Harris
.
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.
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, known as the 2011 census, took place on 27 March 2011, a decade after
Census in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
the previous census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. It was conducted on the same day in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure coherence and consistency. The Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
(ONS) is responsible for the census in England and Wales; the General Register Office for Scotland
General Register Office for Scotland
The General Register Office for Scotland was a non-ministerial directorate of the Scottish Government that administered the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions in Scotland. It was also responsible for the statutes relating to the formalities of marriage and conduct...
(GROS) is responsible for the census in Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency is an executive agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland. The organisation is responsible for the collection and publication of statistics related to the economy, population and society of Northern Ireland...
(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. 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.
History
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.
Purpose
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 roundThe 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.
Operation
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
Census Act 1920
The Census Act 1920 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Providing for a census for Great Britain , on a date to be fixed by Order in Council, it remains the primary legislation for the provision of the UK census in England, Scotland, and Wales...
. 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.
Production
Lockheed Martin UK, the UK arm of US-based aerospaceAerospace manufacturer
An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft....
, defence
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
, security
Information security
Information security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording or destruction....
, and technology company Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
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. The Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
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." The Office of National Statistics stated that no personal census information will ever leave the UK or be seen by any American-owned company.
Several groups called for a boycott of the census over the involvement of Lockheed Martin, including the Stop the War Coalition
Stop the War Coalition
The Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
, the Christian thinktank Ekklesia
Ekklesia (think tank)
Ekklesia is an independent, not-for-profit British think tank which examines the role of religion in public life and advocates transformative theological ideas and solutions. Jonathan Bartley is the founder and co-director....
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. The Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
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.
Liberal Conspiracy
Liberal Conspiracy
Liberal Conspiracy is a left wing political blog established in 2007 and edited by Sunny Hundal. Writing in the Guardian, Hundal claimed he set up the site to help "think past single-issue campaigns and work together to push a progressive agenda for Britain ... We have to rebuild the grassroots...
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.
In Scotland, a wholly owned subsidiary of information technology company CACI
CACI
CACI International Inc is a professional services and information technology company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. CACI is a member of the Fortune 1000 Largest Companies and the Russell 2000 index. The company has approximately 13,700 employees in over 120 offices in the U.S. and...
was contracted to gather information. CACI "provided interrogators who worked at Abu Ghraib
Abu Ghraib
The city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
prison at the height of the prisoner abuse scandal".
The census for England and Wales was trialled in 135,000 households in Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, the London Borough of Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
and Anglesey on 11 October 2009. A test was also carried out in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
at the same time. 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
Capita Group
The Capita Group Plc , commonly known as Capita Group or Capita, is a business process outsourcing and recruitment company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the largest business process outsourcing company in the UK, with an overall market share of 27% in 2009, and has clients in...
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.
The cost of the 2011 census is £482m, over double the £210m spent of the 2001 census. 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).
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.
Changes from 2001 census
The general style of the questionnaire is similar to that of the 2001 censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. A rehearsal questionnaire was released in 2009. Several new identity and status options were included for the first time. Other changes for 2011 included:
- An option to complete the form online.
- The 2011 census questionnaire included 56 questions in total.
- It asked migrants their date of arrival and how long they intended to stay in the UK.
- This was the first census since the Civil Partnership Act 2004Civil Partnership Act 2004The Civil Partnership Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Bill for this Act was introduced by the Labour government and supported by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat opposition. The Act grants civil partnerships in the United Kingdom with rights and...
and the questionnaire included tick boxes for same-sex civil partnerships in relevant questions. The Equality and Human Rights Commission had called for a question to be included regarding respondents' sexual orientationSexual orientationSexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. While the 2011 Census does not ask about sexual orientation or identity, a question on sexual identity was introduced to all ONS social surveys in January 2009 to support the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007. - EnglishEnglish peopleThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Northern IrishNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, ScottishScottish peopleThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and WelshWelsh peopleThe Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
national identity tick-box option has been included following criticism that English and Welsh were absent from 2001. - A question about the number of bedrooms a household has, as well as the names, gender and birth dates of any overnight guests.
- A question asking how well a respondent can speak EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. - Unlike the 2001 census, there is no question on whether a resident has access to a bath or shower.
- The section on ethnicity was expanded to include "Gypsy or Irish TravellerIrish TravellerIrish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
" and "ArabBritish ArabsBritish Arabs are Arab people living or born in the United Kingdom. Unlike Black British or Asian British, the term is not one of those employed in government ethnicity categorisations used in the census and for national statistics. It is, however, the term used by the National Association of...
" categories, whilst ChineseBritish ChineseBritish Chinese , including British-born Chinese are people of Chinese ancestry who were born in, or have migrated to, the United Kingdom. They are part of the Chinese diaspora, or overseas Chinese...
has been merged into the "Asian BritishBritish AsianBritish Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
" category which formerly only included South AsiaSouth AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n ethnic groups. - The questionnaire for the 2001 Census only included usual residents. For the 2011 Census, it included usual residents and any visitors staying the night on census day, 27 March 2011.
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 on 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.
Cornish identity
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). However, in the 2011 census, despite campaigns, still no tick-box was provided to select CornishCornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
as an identity. 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. Additionally, people could record Cornwall as their country of birth.
Like other identities, Cornish has an allocated census code, (06) the same as for 2001, which will apply and will be counted throughout Britain.
Advertising
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 OrigamiOrigami
is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD at the latest and was popularized outside Japan in the mid-1900s. It has since then evolved into a modern art form...
, 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.
Controversy
While in opposition, the ConservativesConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
termed the census as a "sex snoopers charter", accusing it of infringing on privacy
Privacy law
Privacy law refers to the laws which deal with the regulation of personal information about individuals which can be collected by governments and other public as well as private organizations and its storage and use....
. 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
Francis Maude
Francis Anthony Aylmer Maude is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he currently serves as the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, and as a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Horsham...
, 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."
During the consultation on the 2011 census the British Humanist Association
British Humanist Association
The British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism and represents "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs." The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect...
raised several concerns about question 20, "What is your religion?". The BHA argued it was a leading question
Leading question
In common law systems that rely on testimony by witnesses, a leading question or suggestive interrogation is a question that suggests the answer or contains the information the examiner is looking for. For example, this question is leading:...
, 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
Scotland's census
Scotland's census in 2011 also asked 13 household questions and up to 35 questions for each individual. Plans were rehearsed in west EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Lewis and Harris
Lewis and Harris
Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides make up the largest island in Scotland. This is the largest single island of the British Isles after Great Britain and Ireland.-Geography:...
.
The 2011 census was the first to include a question asking about the ability to read, write and understand the Scots language
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
alongside the question for ability in Scottish Gaelic and English languages.
England and Wales
- The Official 2011 Census website the official English website
- The Official 2011 Census website the official Welsh website
- The 2011 Census at the Office for National StatisticsOffice for National StatisticsThe Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
- Census 2011 recruitment site
- This is Britain with Andrew Marr - BBC programme looking at life in Britain on the eve of the 2011 Census