More Census help for Scotland’s cities this weekend

With less than two weeks remaining to complete Scotland’s Census 2022, the nation’s towns and cities will be getting additional support this weekend to help people fulfil their legal responsibility.

Four public events will be held across the greater Glasgow area at supermarkets, universities and colleges to help people meet the end of May deadline. In addition, teams will be visiting faith centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Tayside, with further events planned for the following weekend in the Glasgow area and in North Ayrshire.

More than one million household visits have already been undertaken by census field teams, and from the 16th week staff have also been working with householders to complete their census on the doorstep - online or on paper - as part of a package of support measures to encourage completion.

Census returns must be submitted by the end of May; failure to do so could result in prosecution and a fine of up to £1000.

Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, said:

“It’s great that we are seeing a steady increase in census response rates right across Scotland, but it is vital that we secure as high a response rate as possible so that the census can be effective in delivering its many benefits for future public services. Census data informs how and where public money is spent on vital services, from the building of new schools and hospitals to improving transport links and understanding health needs.

“There will be more support available this weekend as we continue to engage with households and communities across the country. I would encourage anyone that hasn’t completed their census to take advantage of this help and fill it in before it is too late.

“Information and guidance is also available online at census.gov.scot, and you can speak to an agent on our free helpline 0800 030 8308 if you have specific questions or need a paper questionnaire. Language interpretation is also available via our helpline and the census form is also available on paper with guidance available in Braille, large print and audio.”

This weekend’s community events will be taking place at:

You can complete the census online at census.gov.scot. If you need one you can get a new internet access code from the website via text, email or letter or via the helpline on 0800 030 8308. You can also complete on a paper form which can be ordered from the free helpline or online.

Scotland’s Census 2022 will benefit Scotland for many years; it asks questions on a range of topics, including the types of accommodation people stay in, household relationships, age, sex, health and employment status. New questions for this year’s census include use of British Sign Language (BSL), passports held, previous armed forces history and new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and trans status.