Thank you, convener.
Today is another crucial milestone on the journey to Scotland’s 2021 census. It is critical that we have legislation in place to support the taking of the census in March 2021, and the committee’s support is important in achieving that.
Collecting data to enable the production of high-quality census outputs is a priority for the National Records of Scotland. The census is the official count of every person and household in the country, and the census questionnaire is the only questionnaire of its kind to ask everyone the same questions at the same time. No other survey provides the range of information that the census provides, and we can be very proud of the richness of the data that we hold.
Work is being progressed to protect that valuable source of data. We must ensure that the 2021 census is secure and that privacy is protected, with census records held securely and confidentially for 100 years. The census legislation enables us to achieve that, and I am grateful to everyone who is involved in helping us to reach that important milestone.
I am glad that the committee has engaged on the census order for a number of months as part of the new informal engagement process. Although the sex question has dominated the discussion, I am aware that the committee has thoroughly considered the order over that time.
As members will be aware, there are some differences between the draft census order that is before them and the census order that was approved in 2010. The drafting of the order has taken account of previous census orders, and it also reflects changes to the National Records of Scotland’s policy development and its updated approach to the census. For example, the draft order reflects the proposed addition of new questions in the census for households and communal establishments on topics such as sexual orientation, transgender status and history, and veterans. It also sets out the age limitations on asking certain questions.
The draft order includes clearer detail on which individuals are to be counted, where individuals are to be enumerated and the properties to be enumerated. Although the 2021 census will be predominantly online, that does not change the basis of the order. I hope that members will see that every effort has been made to ensure that we have an appropriate order for Scotland’s 2021 census.
Finally, my letter to the convener this week in response to the letter from the committee confirmed that, subject to the census legislation being in force, the registrar general will conduct a census that includes a binary sex question, supported by guidance on self-identification, and that I support that approach for Scotland’s 2021 census.
National Records of Scotland officials are currently considering how the supporting guidance can be updated to ensure that there is clarity on the purpose of the census and the data that is being gathered. I will update members once that work has been completed.