Scotland Census - Request paper copy to demonstrate your support for the importance of collecting factual data

[NonnyMouse1337]

The census takes place every ten years to capture meaningful data about the population in Scotland.
The results of the Census affect everyone because it is used to plan vital public services and inform investment in areas such as education, transport, health and social care.

Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, has said:

“Scotland’s Census is unique in asking the whole nation important questions that help us to better understand the future needs of our communities.

"The census helps the Scottish Government, Local Government and other service providers to plan services and make decisions about how public money will be spent on major services in our communities, including schools, roads and hospitals.

“It's essential we maximise participation and ensure that everyone is heard and their needs captured.”

Given the importance of the census, you would think it is crucial that the data gathered is accurate and factual.

Yet, as you might be aware, a recent court ruling declared that this should not be the case when it comes to filling in a person's sex. Since the Census Act - which was written in 1920 by the way - does not explicitly define sex or distinguish between sex and gender, it apparently means it's ok to answer the question based on how a person feels, irrespective of what is recorded on their birth certificate or Gender Recognition Certificate.

Many women and men disagree with this approach. A person's sex is a factual piece of information, like our age, and not something to be based on what we would like it to be.

The question on sex is mandatory.

There is a new question which is optional - it asks about a person's trans status. This is a good thing. We want to capture accurate numbers of how many trans people there are in Scotland, as there is no reliable data for this at the moment. Healthcare for trans people cannot be planned for properly if we don't know how many males and females are trans. However, since the question is optional, no one is obliged to answer it if they don't want to.

There is no logical reason for the sex question to be a matter of personal interpretation when there is already a question that captures a person's gender identity.

If you are also concerned with the way sex is being undermined in all kinds of areas of law and policy, then please request a paper copy of the census. Do not fill it in online.
A paper copy has sufficient space to answer the mandatory questions without breaching guidelines but still enables you to signal your disagreement. The online version will only allow you to select specific values and you can't add anything else.

More information will be provided soon by various women's rights groups on the exact wording to write in the census form. But in the meantime, please order the paper version and ask others to do the same.

twitter.com/ForwomenScot/status/1498259044494098435?s=20&t=Z9vHKzo5INWuJLRQlm0YiQ

There's also question for the name of your employer. Is that usual? And, if you tick the box not working, you then get asked if you've actively been looking for work

Exactly lizzie - there are so many really intrusive questions, and I really can't see what necessary information they are getting from them. I'm very unhappy at being required to provide this information on employers, children's school, identity, work status etc (the sexuality, religion ones etc are bad enough, but at least you can choose not to answer them) when they don't explain why they need it, what they intend on doing with it, and I just don't trust them to keep the data safe and confidential anyway. They haven't proven themselves competent when it comes to that kind of thing in the past (yesterday's news about the prison data is just one more failure). I think I'm going to be as vague as possible, while still truthful/ following the letter of the guidance, on those ones.

paper copy ordered.

Paper copy ordered- thank you for setting up this thread :)

I'm still waiting on my paper copy turning up!

I can understand the question on sexual orientation as it's good to have an idea of actual numbers of LGB people, especially as it's (hopefully) easier to be openly homosexual / bisexual these days. Funding for support services can be better allocated as well. It's a question that is rightfully optional, as it's a very personal question.

I have no idea why people need to supply the name of their employer though. What's the point in that?!

I'm still waiting on my paper copy turning up!

Same here - hopefully they are a bit overwhelmed with applications...

I have no idea why people need to supply the name of their employer though. What's the point in that?!

I'm very tempted to not fill it in - it's none of their business and I can't see how it creates useful data - type of job maybe, but not actual employer

I've requested my paper copy, still waiting as well though.

Maybe I should put in some ribbon when I return it. Don't want to scare the people opening the envelopes mind you.

Ribbon is a good idea

Do you think it would be ok to stick stickers to it?

I think you can’t sticker the form

Not even in areas that don't matter as much? ie pages not in use or questions not in use or the front cover/back cover?

I found this interesting article on how to fill in the 2011 census written by a group objecting to the involvement of Lockheed Martin in the process... So making suggestions as to how to make processing the form as time consuming and expensive for them as possible without opening yourself to accusations of not completing it, or giving false data.

Obviously it's a different justification here (we have no beef with the data collection company specifically), and I'm not sure if the same data processing method will be used here, or if the legislation has changed. But basically, there was nothing contrary to legislation in 2011 if you affected the means of coding/ reading the form, as long as all the questions were answered (though not necessarily in the places/ way they expected). The legislation referred to the physical completion of the form, and that answers weren't "false" - but they could be not understood (even/ especially after reading the guidance provided), or misunderstood, or mistakenly answered and then corrected, or even with errors made in good faith (misremembering details etc). There (was in 2011) nothing saying you had to leave the form in a state it could be easily read, or digitally read.

So drawing little pictures and colouring in round the bar codes of each page was suggested. Stickers, blutack, marmalade, staples on the form, preventing each of the pages being automatically read....Upside down or cursive writing... Making mistakes, deleting them and writing the correct answer elsewhere with helpful arrows to it, maybe to another bit of paper stapled or stuck to the form...Unexpected answers or answers with two possible meanings for coding in the free text boxes... Basically anything that involved humans in the physical management or interpretation of your form. Political messages will be seen, but not really taken account of unless they are the actual answer to a census question.

I suppose in practice we don't want to do anything worrying or unpleasant to the humans (likely many women) dealing with the forms. So I'd avoid things like sticky substances on the form or glitter in the envelopes personally. And we don't know their conditions of work or if they are paid per form or anything (though I'd have hoped that anything that couldn't be read automatically would just be "it takes as long as it takes" . But I thought the variety of slightly disruptive things suggested quite inventive if that is your aim!

Paper copy arrived today

I'm still waiting on my paper copy turning up!

Not had my form through yet either...

Apparently they are dealing with thousands of requests so it's taking a while to get them out to people.

Oh really, @RomeoOscarXrayIndigoEcho! 😃

From the census.gov.scot website and Twitter -
'We are currently experiencing a high volume of paper requests so please do not be concerned if this takes longer to arrive.'

There also seems to be a bit of contention over the nationality question.

Good, because if it’s true that you’re either Scottish or Other British on it that’s annoying me too!

"Believer in biology" doesn't fit in the boxes BTW... (So I went outside the boxes)

DH put his religion as heavy metal.

I'm also still waiting. Very much looking forward to filling it in.

Will be ticking both Scottish and British and believer in biology as my religion.

Interesting both Mhairi black and sturgeon have removed pronouns from their bios. Wonder if they are finally reading the room?

That is interesting @Rainbowshit

@Rainbowshit , yes I'm probably as much annoyed about the Scottish / other british answer as the gender stuff.

Online you could only choose one but I think paper will allow you to write British (dropping the other).

All the SNP have now taken pronouns off bios…