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Census Questionnaires to be Available Online

17 June 2008

Scotland's householders will be able to complete census questionnaires online for the first time in 2011, the Registrar General announced today.

Duncan Macniven said residents in West Edinburgh, Lewis and Harris will be the first in the UK to test the new option when they take part in the 2009 census rehearsal.

The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) confirmed online questionnaires will be available following the award of an £18.5 million contract for Scotland's census IT and printing services.

GROS has awarded a contract to CACI (UK) to develop the 2011 census website, print paper questionnaires and scan and process peoples' responses, before GROS statisticians analyse the results. CACI (UK) has already developed services for two censuses in the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Macniven said:

"The next census is the first to offer people the online questionnaire option. We studied other countries' approach to using the internet for census returns and concluded that it offers many benefits.

"Householders can choose the method that is most convenient to them: a paper or online questionnaire. The online option has the potential to improve the quality of results because we can help people navigate through the questionnaire and consider how to answer each question.

"Our dedicated web site will have robust security security measures in place to protect peoples confidential information.

"GROS continues to have responsibility for the design and delivery of Scotland's census. The contract announced today means we can also commission modern technology to enhance other areas of the census programme, such as high-speed scanners and software to read handwriting and tick boxes.

"Everyone's census record remains private for 100 years after the census. CACI (UK) and its team of supporting companies will abide by confidentiality guarantees, backed by census legislation and the Data Protection Act.

"2011 marks 150 years since GROS took responsibility for organising Scotland's census. Our task now is to work with our suppliers as one team to ensure the 2011 Census reflects the needs of Scotland's population as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Mr Macniven also announced the date for Scotland's 2009 census rehearsal and highlighted that households in West Edinburgh, Lewis and Harris will be the first within the UK to use online census questionnaires.

"Our rehearsal will test the plans and arrangements for 2011 with 50,000 households on 29 March 2009. That allows us to make any refinements before the UK-wide census day on 27 March 2011."

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