Scottish Census Returns Will be Safe And Secure

23rd March 2001

All the personal information collected in Scotland's Census will remain secure and be treated in strict confidence, John Randall, Registrar General for Scotland, emphasised today.

Mr Randall's pledge coincided with the publication of a report on the outcome of two independent reviews commissioned jointly by the Registrars General of Scotland, England and Wales and Northern Ireland. The reviews endorsed the arrangements to ensure security and statistical confidentiality for the Scottish Census, which takes place on 29 April 2001.

Mr Randall said: "The information supplied by people in Scotland's Census will only be used to produce statistics. Nothing will be released for at least 100 years which would allow individuals or households to be identified.

"Scotland's Census will be essential for the planning and funding of better local services for all Scots over the next decade. I'm counting on everyone in Scotland to complete their forms, and they can count on me to protect the information they provide."

One review deals with physical security, and the steps taken to protect the completed Census forms and the information extracted for analysis. The other examines the measures put in place to prevent disclosure on publication of information about households or individuals.

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