A week to go, yet 350k households stilltofillCensus

THE Scottish Government remains well short of its Census target – with almost 350,000 households yet to fill it in a week before the pushedback deadline.

Just 84.5 per cent of homes have completed the compulsory survey so far, despite the deadline being extended by a month because the poor initial response.

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) said that, as of Monday morning, 2,210,265 homes had returned a Census form giving crucial details about residents that are used in planning local services and decision making.

A key measure of whether the Census had been successful – as set out by NRS – is if 94 per cent of all households have completed the survey.

Another ‘critical success factor’ is if every part of the country achieves returns of more than 85 per cent, but just 19 of Scotland’s 32 council areas have done so.

With so little improvement after extending the deadline, the SNP’s handling of the process has been branded ‘shambolic’ and the decision to run it a year later than England, Wales and Northern Ireland criticised as ‘nationalist ideology’ rather than the coronavirus excuse given at the time.

Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said: ‘The SNP’s running of the Census has been nothing short of shambolic.

‘The continued low response rate shows that their rejection of being part of a UK-wide Census was misguided.

‘They put their nationalist ideology above being part of a successful campaign across the UK despite repeated calls from the Scottish Conservatives to carry out the Scottish Census in 2021. That has led to taxpayers being left with an ever-increasing bill as a result of the extended deadline.

‘Key government policy decisions require accurate Census returns, so it is the public who will suffer as a result of the SNP’s incompetence.’

Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie complained that the ‘Census is being completed at a snail’s pace’.

He added: ‘We can’t afford for this once-in-a-decade opportunity to inform the delivery of public services to fall short.’

In late April, Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson admitted that the response rate was unacceptable and confirmed that the deadline would be pushed back a month, costing taxpayers £9.76million on top of the £138million to carry out a separate survey from the rest of the UK.

South of the Border, 97 per cent of households returned completed questionnaires.

Failure to fill in the form can lead to a £1,000 fine.

Mr Robertson said: ‘I would urge everyone who has not completed their Census to do so immediately, and before the end of May, to avoid the risk of prosecution.’

‘Nothing short of shambolic’