Question reference: S6W-09072
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 10 June 2022
-
Current status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 21 June 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans the National Records of Scotland has to scan copies of the paper returns of Scotland’s Census 2022, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
All valid paper returns from Scotland’s Census 2022 will be scanned in full and digital files created. In addition, digital data from responses for all scanned census returns, including online or paper, will be produced and retained.
High quality scanned image files for all paper census returns will be retained by National Records of Scotland (NRS) and stored in a permanent archive for historical research purposes in future. Original paper questionnaires will be securely destroyed only after all data files for both digital data and high quality scanned image files have been produced and safely transmitted for storage.
Census information is kept secure and confidential for 100 years.