Census Day 2021 is coming and it’s vital that everyone in North Wales takes part. You must fill in the form by law, and not doing so could land you with a £1,000 fine.
The census is a survey that happens every 10 years and provides the Office for National Statistics (ONS) with a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.
The ONS is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics and the information you provide helps to inform decisions on how to plan and fund services in your local area. This includes services such as transport, education and healthcare. It will also provide vital information for future decisions made by Parliament.
The census is unique, there’s simply nothing else that gives so much detail about us and the society we live in.
From the 2011 Census, it was found that Clwyd West had:
32,212 households
1,408 families with three or more dependent children
128 ethnic groups in the area
It was also found that within this population:
24.81% of usual residents (aged 16 years and over) are retired
44.03% of people drive to work
95.43% of people have English or Welsh as their main language
26.04% of people can speak Welsh
Census 2021 is Sunday March 21st and is the first digital-first census. Households will get a letter in the post in early March which will explain how to take part and include an access code, which they can use to log into the website. They will be able to complete the online census questionnaire on smartphones and tablets, as well as laptops and desktop computers. Support, including paper questionnaires, will be available to those who need it. The census should take around 10 minutes per person to complete.
It’s important that the census sheds light on long-term trends while also reflecting the changing society in which we live today. Census 2021 will therefore ask people aged 16 years and over questions on three new topics. These are: • previous service in the UK Armed Forces • gender identity • sexual orientation. The sexual orientation and gender identity questions are voluntary, like the religion question. As with all questions about identity, people can answer in the way that best represents them by using the response options.
The Office for National Statistics is aiming to make it easy for everyone to take part in Census 2021, but if you need help, you can visit www.census.gov.uk or www.cyfrifiad.gov.uk where there will be an online help area. There will also be a dedicated contact centre offering help through phone, webchat, email, social media or text message. You can call the contact centre free on 0800 141 2021 (England) or 0800 169 2021 (Wales).
People need not worry about providing personal information, as the census has a proud 200 year history of keeping such information safe. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has a strict security regime that follows government standards. This includes physical and IT security measures to protect your data, covering people, processes and technology. What’s more, no one can tell who you are in the statistics that the ONS publishes. The ONS makes sure that they include none of your personal information. All ONS systems, staff, suppliers and processes must protect your confidentiality by law.
I urge all readers to ensure that they complete Census 2021.
You can find out more at www.census.gov.uk or www.cyfrifiad.gov.uk
