Various legislative requirements need to be fulfilled before a census can be held. The Legislation project ensured that the legislative framework for the 2001 Census was in place, and Ministers were kept informed of progress. The first stage in this process was the publication of The White Paper 'The 2001 Census of Population' which set-out the reasons for holding a census, the proposed questions, operational methodology and format of results. The White Paper was produced in March 1999, two years before the Census, to ensure sufficient time for public discussion of proposals. Prior to every Census, a Census Order is required, which states the date of the Census, the people who are required to complete the form, those who are to be included on the form and the topics on which questions will be asked. The operational aspects of the Census also required parliamentary approval. This information was set out in the Census Regulations, which contained details of how the Census was to be conducted and included a copy of the census form. The decision to include a question on religion in the 2001 Census, resulted in additional legislation, with the 1920 Census Act, Census Order 2000 and Census Regulations 2000 all requiring amendment to make provision for this new question to be asked.

Evaluation report

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This page last revised: 01 November 2005