Scotland's 2.5 Million Census Forms Ready for Distribution

28th February 2001

Scotland's Census is gearing up as millions of forms are distributed to nearly 200 locations around the country to be ready for delivery to every household. And with them are going nearly 7000 bright yellow bags which will soon become a common sight on Scotland's streets.

There are an estimated 2.5 million households in Scotland and each one will receive a hand-delivered Census form which has to be filled in on Sunday, 29 April. The Census enumerators, who will walk every street in Scotland and knock on every door, will deliver the forms. They will each have an authority card and will carry the forms in the bright yellow nylon bags.

For Census purposes, Scotland has been divided into 22 areas and 175 districts. The forms began their journey to each of the District Managers on Monday 26 February. Meanwhile, the Enumerators are being recruited. They will be appointed on 26 March and following training will begin delivering the terracotta-coloured forms to households on Monday, 9 April.

This year, instead of the enumerators going back to collect the forms, a reply paid envelope will be included and enumerators will collect the confidential returns from postal sorting offices.

The enumerator's job will then be to check against their master list that every form has been returned. And if any have not, the enumerators will again take to the streets to chase up forms which are missing.

"We are making a major effort to ensure everyone gets a Census form - and just as important - that the form is completed and returned to us," said John Randall, Registrar General for Scotland and the man responsible for Scotland's Census. "It is most important that we get a return from everyone in Scotland so that we can draw an accurate profile of the population. This in turn will be used to plan where Scotland's resources will be required in the future

"Anyone who fails to be counted in would be disadvantaging their communities, as well as themselves in the future," explained Mr Randall. "There are groups of people who think the Census may not apply to them," added Mr Randall, "but they are wrong. Absolutely everyone usually resident in Scotland needs to be counted in."

For example, those working with the homeless will be helping Census enumerators produce forms for rough sleepers and the Scottish Prison Service will be counting in those in jail. "In the past young men particularly in the 20-30 age group have felt there was something macho about not filling in a return," said Mr Randall, "but they could not be more wrong! What we are looking at is supplying information to a range of public and private organisations responsible for the provision of services to benefit everyone over the long-term."

Mr Randall explained that these services ranged from new housing to hospitals as well as roads and schools - and also included the provision of social services. "Getting an accurate profile of the population on Sunday 29 April, which is Census Day, will help politicians decide how to divide up Scotland's cake," he said.

In the meantime, several million Census forms will be travelling across Scotland so that Census Enumerators, complete with their bright yellow bags, can begin knocking on every door from Monday, 9 April onwards.

Notes To Editors

The first UK Census was held in March 1801 and was little more than a head count. Then local schoolmasters tramped round their parishes and the results were sent to the Home Office in London. A Census has been held every 10 years since then - except for 1941. The Registrar General for Scotland took over responsibility for the Census and rthe resulting data with the 1861 Census. The 2001 Census will be the first of the new Millenium and the first since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament.