You are in: Home › News › 2001 › Good start to census post-back in Scotland - Orkney and Shetland lead the way ›

Good Start To Census Post-Back in Scotland
- Orkney & Shetland Lead The Way

Scottish householders have responded well in the first week after Scotland's Census on Sunday, 29 April, by posting back their completed Census forms. By last Friday some 950,000, or 41 per cent of the 2.3 million forms delivered, had been received by field staff from the Royal Mail.

Indications are that a further 500,000 forms are currently being processed by Royal Mail. Figures up to Friday suggest that that the highest rate of post-back have been achieved in rural areas such Orkney and Shetland, with some 80 per cent of forms returned, and the Scottish Borders, with 75 per cent returned. In some other areas the proportion of forms received by field staff by Friday was about 30 per cent, but it is known that large volumes of mail are going out to field staff over this weekend.

Over this weekend enumerators will be checking the returned forms. Any householders whose forms have not been by Wednesday 9 May will be contacted by enumerators from that day.

Commenting on the initial results of the post-back, Registrar General for Scotland, John Randall, said: "I am pleased by the response so far. I am grateful to the majority of Scottish householders who have posted back their Census forms so promptly, and to the Royal Mail who are coping well with this huge volume of extra mail.

"But there is still a long way to go. I urge households who have not yet completed or posted back their forms to do so as soon as possible so that their local communities are not under-enumerated and do not miss out on their proper share of finance for local services. Anyone not returning a form could be liable to a fine of up to £1000. From next Wednesday, 9 May, our enumerators will be calling on households who have not yet returned their forms."

Notes To Editors

1. A clearer picture of post-back rates across all areas in Scotland will be available next Wednesday.
2. Completed forms should be posted back in the reply-paid envelope as soon as possible. From 9 May field staff will follow up households from whom forms have not been received.
3. Anyone currently away from home on holiday or on business can complete and sent back their form on their return.
4. Assistance is available to anyone who needs help to fill in their form, and they should call the Census Helpline for Scotland on: 0845 602 2001.
5. Completion and return of Census forms is required by law and anyone refusing to do so runs the risk of being report for non-compliance and if prosecuted and found guilty they could face a fine of up to £1000.