Reason for placeholder
Definition
A placeholder form was completed during the field operation for each valid household or communal establishment that did not return a census questionnaire. The reasons for placeholder form completion include: non-residential property; refusal of resident to complete a questionnaire; an absent
Classification
Total number of categories 16
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Internet completion |
| 2 | Non-residential |
| 3 | Derelict |
| 4 | Demolished |
| 5 | Address not applicable |
| 6 | Household refusal |
| 7 | Household Non-return |
| 8 | Household Absent |
| 9 | Household New build but not yet occupied |
| 10 | Household holiday accommodation or second residence |
| 11 | Household vacant dwelling |
| 12 | Communal establishment refusal |
| 13 | Communal establishment non-return |
| 14 | Communal establishment absent |
| 15 | Communal establishment vacant |
| X | No code required - comprises all households and communal establishments that have completed a census return |
Reason for asking
This information is used to distinguish between occupied and unoccupied households for use during coverage assessment and adjustment. For addresses where a completed census questionnaire was returned at a later date, the placeholder form was deleted.
Scotland (2001) comparison
In 2001, household spaces which were identified by the enumerator as absents, refusals or non-returns but which did not subsequently have a household imputed by the adjustment process were classified as vacant in output. This is different from the approach taken in 2011, when they were classified as second/holiday homes. This is because, as part of the quality assurance process, these counts were compared with council tax returns, and this suggested that second/holiday homes was a more appropriate category for refusals. The guidance given to enumerators also suggested that these households spaces were unlikely to be vacant.