The project which has made 2001 Census output free at the point of use closes on 31 March 2005 with the end of funding. However, the changes the project has brought about in access to the Census results and in the removal of restrictions on further use will continue. Supply of existing output will be very largely unaffected for the present, but, as currently, costs will be recovered for specially commissioned output, which also includes work on earlier Censuses.
Access to output largely unchanged
The Census Access project covered the costs of producing the content of standard Census products and of supplying them so they have been free to end users, and in doing so has met the duty of the Registrar General under section 4.2 of the Census Act 1920 to recover costs.
The statistical and geographical content, already produced with funding from Census Access and available for further copying 'off the shelf', will continue to be available without charge, and small additional costs of material (CDs and DVDs), copying and handling will not be charged to customers for the present. But there will continue to be charges for large orders where material, copying and handling charges exceed £50. The need for a charge will be notified to customers in advance of any supply.
There will continue to be no charge for the use and downloading of output available on the National Statistics website or for the significant additional output which has recently become available on the Nomis website. Customers may also continue to obtain copies of output from third parties without a charge being payable to ONS.
