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<p>The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Professor Sir
Ian Diamond</strong> | National Statistician</p><p> </p><p>The Rt Hon. the Lord Adonis</p><p>House
of Lords</p><p>London</p><p>SW1A 0PW</p><p> </p><p>02 February 2021</p><p> </p><p>Dear
Lord Adonis,</p><p> </p><p>As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK
Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions relating to
Census 2021 in England and Wales and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Your questions
asked about the reasons behind the decision to carry out the census for England and
Wales on 21 March while the pandemic is ongoing (HL12462); ensuring the accuracy of
the census in the light of the impact of the pandemic (HL12463); the impact of the
number of people who, due to the pandemic, will not be resident at their normal addresses
on 21 March, and mitigating any such impact (HL12464); the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the accuracy of the census (HL12465); and what consultation the UK Statistics
Authority undertook before the decision was made to proceed with the census in England
and Wales on 21 March during the COVID-19 pandemic (HL12466).</p><p> </p><p>The Office
for National Statistics (ONS) is working to deliver a successful census in England
and Wales in March 2021. Since the start of the pandemic, the ONS has updated the
operational design to build in safety and flexibility to allow for continued success.
The ONS has also continued to adapt its plans as the course of the pandemic has changed.
Additional assurance has been carried out in the form of regular readiness assessments.
The last assessment was in December and the ONS’s operational readiness was externally
assured by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. These assessments have been
shared with UK Government.</p><p> </p><p>Following the announcement of national lockdowns
in England and Wales in December 2020, the ONS again assessed its readiness to deliver
a successful census safely and securely. A statement was published by the ONS on 22
January setting out why it is important to conduct the census in 2021 and how the
ONS is ensuring everyone can be safely counted in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.[1]
Again, the ONS’s assessment was discussed with the UK Government at this stage. The
Government’s position on continuing with the census in March 2021 is set out in a
written statement of 3 February.[2]</p><p> </p><p>The quality of census outputs relies
on optimising response rates, which is at the heart of the design and collection operation.
The ONS has designed Census 2021 to be simple, straightforward and safe to complete.
This will be a digital-first census and the ONS will be encouraging people to respond
online if they can on their mobile phones, laptops, PCs or tablets, with a comprehensive
range of support for those who are not able to complete the census online. The main
census field operation will begin only after Census Day (21 March); the primary role
of field officers is to give help and encouragement to those who have not yet filled
in their census questionnaire online or on paper, and to direct them to the support
services they need. Census field staff will never enter people’s houses; they will
be supplied with PPE, will always be socially distanced and will work in line with
all government guidance. They will be operating in the same way as a postal or food
delivery visit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Every census uses proven statistical methodologies
to ensure the best possible estimates as a standard approach. The ONS will build upon
our Census Coverage Survey approach,[3] with increased use of administrative and survey
data to maximise data quality.</p><p> </p><p>The ONS published its Statistical design
for the 2021 Census in October 2020[4]; this sets out its end-to-end statistical design
to ensure that census results are of high quality and are fit for purpose. This document
takes into account the impact of the coronavirus, both on the operational plans for
the census and in other ways.[5] The ONS continues to work with a wide range of users
of census statistics to ensure census outputs meet their needs. It ran a series of
webinars at the end of last year as part of its ongoing engagement activity, to update
users on its current plans, and will be running further output engagement later this
year.</p><p> </p><p>The ONS has been examining closely the impact of the pandemic
on how people will respond to the census, including for people who may be resident
in different locations as a result. Clear guidance is being prepared and tested about
how people should complete the census if the pandemic has affected their circumstances.
This includes students for whom we will provide guidance as to where they should be
counted. The ONS will publish this revised guidance when the testing and development
has been concluded. In quality assuring the census results, the ONS will be comparing
the census data with a wide range of other sources to check that the estimates are
as accurate as possible.</p><p> </p><p>The ONS engages with stakeholders and data
users on an ongoing basis. The pandemic has impacted its ability to carry out some
of our planned stakeholder engagement activities, but the ONS has expanded its use
of innovative methods of digital communication to engage stakeholders. This has been
very effective and attendance at virtual meetings with stakeholders has been much
higher than might have been expected in face-to-face meetings, and much more frequent
engagement has been possible. The virtual engagement has continued during the current
national lockdowns and will continue.</p><p> </p><p>The ONS engages with local authorities
and community groups representing those people who may face barriers to completing
the census. It engages with local authorities through regular newsletters and a series
of workshops held online through 2020 on different aspects of the census operation.
It has also established a Local Authority Quality Assurance Working Group with 17
local authorities. It engages with community groups and leaders at a national and
local level, with a particular focus on communities that face barriers to completing
the census for cultural, motivational, understanding and other reasons. The ONS works
with representatives of other sectors (central government, health, business and academia),
through Census Advisory Groups and e-mail updates, to ensure they are consulted on
the census and their views considered in its design and delivery.</p><p> </p><p>The
ONS also held a programme of eight census webinars to showcase our plans for design
and quality assurance, through November and December 2020. The series included a high-level
introductory overview as well as 'In Focus' sessions that outlined specific aspects
in more detail, including maximising response, quality assurance and census outputs.
These webinars, each of which were attended by around 90 people, provided stakeholders
and users the opportunity to ask questions (including on the impact of the pandemic),
give feedback and influence our future engagement activities to meet their needs.</p><p>
</p><p>Yours sincerely,</p><p><strong>Professor Sir Ian Diamond</strong></p><p><strong>
</strong></p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/census2021andcoronavirus"
target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/census2021andcoronavirus</a></p><p>[2]
<a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-02-03/hcws755"
target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-02-03/hcws755</a></p><p>[3]
Information on how the Census Coverage Survey worked in 2011 can be found in chapter
4 of the 2011 Census General Report: <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/census/2011census/howourcensusworks/howdidwedoin2011/2011censusgeneralreport/2011censusgeneralreportforenglandandwaleschapter4_tcm77-384967.pdf"
target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/census/2011census/howourcensusworks/howdidwedoin2011/2011censusgeneralreport/2011censusgeneralreportforenglandandwaleschapter4_tcm77-384967.pdf</a>
(pdf)</p><p>[4]<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/censusdesign/statisticaldesignforcensus2021englandandwales"
target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/censusdesign/statisticaldesignforcensus2021englandandwales</a></p><p>[5]
The operational planning response to the pandemic is covered in more detail in an
article published at the same time: <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/censusdesign/operationalplanningresponsetothecoronaviruscovid19forcensus2021englandandwales"
target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/censusdesign/operationalplanningresponsetothecoronaviruscovid19forcensus2021englandandwales</a></p><p>
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