Make and explore Freedom of Information requests
Offensive? Unsuitable?
Requests for personal information and vexatious requests are not considered valid for FOI purposes (read more).
If you believe this request is not suitable, you can report it for attention by the site administrators
Report this requestAct on what you've learnt
Similar requests
Census non-returns . Prosecutions
To Office for National Statistics by Bob Willis 3 March 2010
Census branding
To Office for National Statistics by Steve Elibank 20 May 2010
Confidentiality of Census Data
To Office for National Statistics by JMN Norris 18 March 2011
Incomplete census forms policy
To Office for National Statistics by Bob Willis 18 March 2011
Conscientous objectors and your census
To General Register Office for Scotland by David Hansen 11 February 2011
Breakdown of census budget
To Office for National Statistics by Simon Briscoe 5 July 2011
2011 Census & Lockheed Martin
To UK Statistics Authority by J Garratt 26 February 2011
Census 2011 contractors
To Office for National Statistics by Simon Maxwell 17 April 2011
Hiring of people with disabilities for the 2011 Census
To Office for National Statistics by Paul Illes 17 May 2011
Lawfully or Legally Obliged?
To Office for National Statistics by D.Gill 3 April 2011
Conscientous Objectors
Bob Willis made this Freedom of Information request to Office for National Statistics
The request was successful.
From: Bob Willis
25 February 2011
Dear Office for National Statistics,
Please provide me with a copy of your guidelines on how you will
deal with conscientous objectors who cannot, in all
conscience,co-operate with your census. Please provide this answer
in plain text.
Yours faithfully,
Bob Willis
From: Paul Wearn
Office for National Statistics
31 March 2011
Our Reference: FOI01109/Willis/QE1
31st March 2011
Dear Mr Willis,
Thank you for your email of 25 February concerning conscientious objectors
and the 2011 Census.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not have any specific
guidelines regarding the treatment of those who do not feel that they can
complete and return a census questionnaire due to matters of conscience.
Nor would ONS differentiate such cases from any other cases of refusal to
complete a questionnaire.
As you may be aware under the provisions of the Census Act 1920, the
Census (England and Wales) Order 2009, the Census (England) Regulations
2010 and the Census (Wales) Regulations 2010, every household has a legal
duty to complete and return a census questionnaire.
Obtaining a completed census questionnaire is the prime aim of the 2011
Census operation, prosecutions of those who fail or persistently refuse to
return a completed questionnaire is a last resort.
You have the right to have this response to your freedom of information
request reviewed internally by an internal review process and, if you
remain unhappy with the decision, by the Information Commissioner. If you
would like to have the decision reviewed please write to Frank Nolan,
Office for National Statistics, Room 1127, Government Buildings, Cardiff
Road, Newport, Gwent, NP10 8XG.
If you have any queries about this email, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
Kind regards,
Paul Wearn LLB (Hons)
Legal Services
Office for National Statistics
For the latest data on the economy and society consult National Statistics
at http://www.ons.gov.uk
show quoted sections
Legal Disclaimer : Any views expressed by the sender of this message are
not necessarily those of the Office for National Statistics
*********************************************************************************
show quoted sections
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence