2011 Census

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Some info from the site:

"Any refusal to complete a form, encountered by field officers was reported to Census HQ and, if there was clear and sufficient documentary evidence of a refusal, and the refusal persisted, consideration was given to a prosecution. The Registrar General gave particular attention to those reported cases where refusals were accompanied by acts of intimidation towards field staff.

Field staff were given specific instructions on the necessary procedures for attempting to conduct Interviews Under Caution under the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

Details of 6 per cent of the 1,500 or so fully reported incidents of refusal were passed on to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Solicitors for consideration of legal action. A further 4,600 or so incidences of alleged refusal were reported but documentary evidence was insufficient to support prosecution."


Field officers are thes who will call round and deliver you a form. They'll even wait and help you fill it in if necessary.

"Prosecutions were sought on a case-by-case basis, where there was clear evidence of a refusal to return a completed Census form. The criteria for Non-Compliance Unit dropping potential cases were decided by the Legislation Project Manager, following the practise in previous censuses and taking account of more recent legal advice. The main reasons for dropping cases included:

* insufficient confirmation of householder's name (in cases, for example, where no contact had been made and evidence from other sources of information - such as the Electoral Register - was lacking);
* responsibility for making a return had not been established;
* possible irregularities in field procedures;
* evidence of mitigating personal circumstances, such as age or infirmity of the householder or in cases of bereavement;
* claims that forms had been posted back which could not be readily verified because of postal difficulties; and
* cases relating to a second home or holiday accommodation."


"In total some 92 cases were reported to the Solicitor's Office and summonses subsequently issued in 80 of them. In 32 of these the offending householder subsequently complied by making an acceptable return either as a result of the Solicitor's final warning letter or a court summons, or even, in one or two instances, on the day of the court hearing. In these cases the prosecutions were dropped as compliance was ultimately achieved. Ten cases where summonses were issued were subsequently dropped on technicalities.

The 38 successful prosecutions resulted in fines ranging from £35-£500 plus costs in most cases. In two instances a particular Magistrate granted a conditional discharge with no costs. In one case in which a defence based on infringement of human rights was cited, the costs awarded against the defendant amounted to £2,500. In another case, widely reported in the press, the defendant refused to pay his fine and costs and was subsequently imprisoned for contempt of court. In a further case, after prosecution, the defendant successfully appealed against the decision of the court on the grounds that he had been prosecuted under an incorrect name (though it had been the name given at the time of the Census). The second prosecution was dropped when an acceptable return was subsequently made."


So you have to make a lot of effort in order to be prosecuted...
 
Hmmm. I really must think about giving consideration to commencing the task of completing my census form. Now, where did I put it? And when was it supposed to be returned? :eek:
 

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