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The Census Act: making it count

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05 February 2020 / Neil Parpworth
Issue: 7873 / Categories: Features , Public
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Neil Parpworth discusses tick-boxes, the census & the separation of powers
  • Statutory responsibility: conducting and developing a census.
  • The claim: the draft census form for 2021 does not include a Sikh ethnic tick-box.
  • Separation of powers: understanding the UK’s constitutional arrangements.

The next census for England and Wales is due to be held in 2021. Although s 1(1)(c)(i) of the Census Act 1920 provides that a census must not take place any sooner than five years after the previous census, it has been the practice since 1841 for censuses to be held every 10 years. Between censuses, much work is undertaken on the nature and content of the questions which appear on the form. This includes consulting with interested organisations and the wider general public in order to try to produce the most valuable data which in turn informs the services and funding provided by central and local government.

Statutory responsibility

Statutory responsibility for conducting a census lies with the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), a non-ministerial department

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