Confidentiality Statement

Confidentiality Statement

The confidentiality of the information provided about individuals and households is protected for 100 years after each census. Until then, we only publish anonymised statistics which build a picture of the needs and characteristics of Scotland as a whole and the groups and communities within it.

Access to census data that can identify households or individuals is very strictly controlled. The 1920 Census Act made it a criminal offence to unlawfully disclose confidential census information. The 1991 Census (Confidentiality) Act extended this to people and businesses working as part of the census process. The penalties for unlawful disclosure of census information are a fine of up to £1000, or a prison sentence of up to two years, or both.

Everyone working with confidential census information - permanent staff, the temporary field staff who handle questionnaires, and the staff of any contractors who are working on the census - is required to sign a declaration to confirm their understanding of their statutory obligations, and the penalties for failing to meet them.

We recognise that people need to be confident their personal information will be held securely. The General Register Office for Scotland will own all personal census information, and will protect it with stringent security measures. We have a long history of successfully protecting the confidentiality of collected information. We regularly review our security measures, and improve them when necessary. GROS has commissioned Logica to conduct an independent review of the security arrangements and procedures for the 2011 Census.

You can be confident that the personal information you supply on your census questionnaire will be kept confidential for 100 years.