The 2011 Census project
The 2011 Census project co-ordinates the future development of the 2011 Census.
The work of the programme is managed by a Board reporting to the Executive of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The Board is chaired by Glen Watson, the 2011 Census Director. Ian Cope and Peter Benton are the 2011 Census Deputy Directors.
ONS is responsible for the census in England and Wales. The General Register Office Scotland (GROS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for the census in Scotland and Northern Ireland. ONS, NISRA and GROS are working together to ensure consistent UK outputs.
Research work within the project has re-examined the business need for information traditionally collected by a census and also assessed the options for meeting any confirmed needs. It was concluded that there is a unique value in, and a continuing need for, the sort of information that has traditionally been collected in the census, and a traditional census is the only viable option for collecting such data in 2011. Beyond 2011, it may be possible to replace the census with an Integrated Population Statistics System bringing together information from multiple sources.
Plans for the run-up to the 2011 Census include a test of the data collection process, which was conducted on 13 May 2007, and a rehearsal of the complete 2011 Census system in 2009.
The Registrars General of England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have agreed (subject to the need for approval where appropriate by the relevant legislatures) the intention to conduct censuses simultaneously throughout the UK in 2011. The agreement includes a commentary on progress as of March 2007. The aim is to promote UK harmonisation and to produce consistent and coherent outputs for the UK and for each component country. A paper on Output Aims and a policy statement on statistical disclosure control are now available as annexes to the agreement. A number of UK-wide Committees have been set up to consider different areas of census development where common methodologies and approaches can be adopted.
