People like you: Other interests « Scotland's Census: Shaping Our Future

“Deciding on school provision, providing open spaces for children to play in, developing cycle networks and building new roads, attracting new business investment, how charity money is spent, making sure there are enough doctors in the area, providing services for elderly or vulnerable people, or ensuring there is sufficient housing for new local families – all of these issues, and many more, depend crucially on census information.

“Central government is not the only user of census data. Local authorities use it to plan their services, businesses will use it to know where to locate or expand, it helps charities allocate their funds and emergency services plan their operations. Medical, social and academic researchers use it to provide new insights into health issues and our society.
Individuals can use it to find out about the statistics of the neighbourhood they live in or might move to. And it is an amazing resource if you want to research your family and community history.

“And for all the information it gives, the census is excellent value for money. Half a billion pounds is a substantial sum [the UK-wide figure] but, to take only one use made of it, it is one twentieth of one per cent of the money central government allocates over a decade to local authorities and health services.

“Only the census can currently provide the combination of full population coverage and detailed data. That is why the Royal Statistical Society is urging everyone to complete their census form either on paper or online.”

Scotland Director for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Ros Micklem

“Between 1999 and 2009 the number of people in Scotland aged under 16 fell by 8 per cent and those aged over 75 increased by 14 per cent. The census is a vital source of this kind of information and helps to paint a complete and accurate picture of the population, providing anonymised information on the age, gender, ethnicity, disability and religious beliefs of Scotland’s people.

"For the Equality and Human Rights Commission this information is critical to help us in our work to eliminate discrimination, promote equality, protect and promote human rights and build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society. These goals can best be achieved if Scotland’s more diverse population take part in this important exercise to ensure that every voice is heard. I hope that you will take this opportunity, which only happens every ten years, to complete the census and ensure we have a full picture of the diversity of Scotland’s people.”

Royal National Institute of Blind People in Scotland, John Legg

“I would encourage everyone with sight loss to play a part in Scotland’s future by taking part in the 2011 Census and making sure they are fully represented. Question 20 specifically asks about sight loss.

“Services such as accessible transport, for example, are important to us and affect how we live and participate in the wider community, so it’s crucial we have our say. By helping paint a picture of Scotland, blind and partially sighted people are helping shape decisions which will impact on us and future generations.”

Listen to details of the census for people who are blind or who have visual impairments which includes the help and support available to them.

Chief Executive of Deaf Connections, Gordon Chapman

“A wide range of public services help to support the Scottish deaf community and improve their quality of life, so it’s crucial that deaf people take the opportunity to have their say by taking part in the census. By helping paint a picture of Scotland, they will be helping to shape decisions which will impact on us and future generations.”

Gypsy travellers

Scottish Gypsy/Traveller, Mary Hendy

“It would be useful to plan services for communities and we especially welcome the inclusion of Gypsy Travellers as there has always been a gap in identifying this community in Scotland.

“The census is an opportunity to get a better picture of how the population of Scotland has changed since over the last 10 years and show how diverse the population has become.”

Gaelic

Bord na Gaidhlig, John Angus MacKay

"To help Bord na Gaidhlig to plan future action that will help to grow the number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland, it is very important that we have reliable language information from the census. Question 16 asks whether people of all ages can understand, speak, read or write Gaelic. And if Gaelic is used at all in the home, people should note that in responses to question 18."

Read our leaflet or display our poster.

Language leaflet Gaelic (PDF 211KB)

Language Poster Gaelic (PDF 553KB)

Chief Executive Officer of An Comunn Gaidhealach, John Morrison

“It is vital everyone in the Gaelic community plays a part in Scotland’s future by taking part in the 2011 Census and making sure they are fully represented. Participation in the census is essential to the future provision of services to our community.

“Services such as language resources, arts and cultural services, schools, social work, and local authority services are important to us all and affect how we live and participate in the wider community, so it’s crucial we have our say. By helping paint a picture of Scotland, the Gaelic community can ensure that we help to shape decisions which will impact on us and future generations.”

Scottish government Gaelic Ambassador, Allan Campbell

“It is extremely important that all those people with any knowledge of Gaelic indicate this in their response to Question 16 in the census questionnaire. People should note that the question asks “which of these can you do?” rather than “which of these do you do?” This recognises that some Gaelic speakers may not have regular opportunities to use Gaelic, but it is vitally important that their ability to do so must be recorded. This information will be critical in future strategic planning for Gaelic development.

“It is also enormously important for Gaelic development planners to also have a clear picture of language use in the home, and I would urge everyone responsible for filling in a census questionnaire to record, at Question 18, use of Gaelic at home.

“This information will help shape decisions which will impact on all of us in Scotland, and on future generations.”

Homeless

Chief Executive of Glasgow City Mission, Andrew Low

“The three homeless day centres in Glasgow are working together to make certain that rough-sleeping men and women in our city are included in the upcoming census. We aim to ensure that they are represented and that the true picture of rough-sleeping in Glasgow is highlighted, so the allocation of public services can be more effectively geared towards the most needy. We want to be in no doubt that every individual whether Scottish or foreign-born, sleeping on a friend’s couch or in a disused building, or having fallen from society’s attention or intentionally hiding from it, will be counted. It's crucial that even the most overlooked people in our society are accounted for and their needs considered now and for years to come.”

Manager, Glasgow Street Service, Willie McBride

“Homelessness is a complex issue and the “hidden homeless” more complex still. Yet for all the challenges that this section of our community presents to us how can we ignore the presence of people sleeping rough in Scotland - for to ignore them is to further exclude them. We therefore applaud the efforts of all concerned who will make the 2011 Census in Scotland the most complete census ever undertaken. By making sure those who are hardest to reach are included in the census we can take into account count those who might otherwise be missed when we plan the services of the future.”

Health

University of Edinburgh, R S Bhopal, Professor of Public Health

"The spectacular advances in the health of the Scottish population, including increasing lifespan by about 30 years in one century, were based on understanding the life circumstances of the people. The most important source of such understanding is, without doubt, the census. As you take time out to complete your census questionnaire, please remember that the information will help you, and your children and grandchildren, to live better, healthier and longer lives."

Peacock Care, Elsie Inglis Nursing Home Unit Manager, Jim Healy

'It's important that everyone is counted in the census - it represents all of us at each stage of our lives. For older people living in communities across Scotland, it is vital that public bodies have the correct information and statistics to provide adequate housing and health provision so that they are well looked after.'

Community

Scottish Premier League (SPL) players from Dundee United, Hearts, Aberdeen and Motherwell helped census regional managers kick off the delivery of the census questionnaires from 7 March.

What do you need to do?

Fill in your census questionnaire on or around Sunday 27 March.