Whilst the 2001 Census aimed to encourage willing participation, there is a legal requirement for everyone to be included on a Census form. Under the provision of article 8(1) of the Census Act 1920, participation in the Census is compulsory, with the exception of the question on religion. The Non-Compliance project was responsible for investigating incidents of alleged refusal and ensuring the correct procedures were followed. Those involved in the delivering and collecting census forms were provided with specific instructions on dealing with refusals, and all reported cases were examined closely before a decision to take legal action was taken. Where there was clear evidence of a refusal to return a Census form, the evidence was passed to the Solicitors Office, in preparation for prosecution.
The Non-Compliance Evaluation Executive Summary was updated on the 14th April 2003 to include the outcome of the one outstanding case.
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