"Most important" census is coming to Hackney

Hackney Council is urging its citizens to play a part in the future funding of the borough.

The Mayor of Hackney is urging every household to fill in the census forms to get more money for local services. He said: "This year’s census will be one of the most important ever for people in Hackney."

 

The 2011 census questionnaire is set to be delivered in Hackney on the 27 March.

Through the census the Office of National Statistics will assess the population of Hackney and calculate how much funding Hackney should receive for services like health, education, and police. Services provided to residents by the Council, such as adult social care, refuse collection and activities for young people will also be assessed.

The Council said :"The more accurate the count, the fairer the funding."

At the last census in 2001, over 25 per cent of households in Hackney didn’t return their questionnaire, which meant the area potentially missed out on hundreds of millions of pounds of funding over the last decade.

Mayor of Hackney, Jules Pipe, said: “The Council is facing more than £80 million in Government spending cuts over the next four years; we need to ensure that central Government has an accurate understanding of the borough’s population and its needs, so this is reflected in how much money we receive for vital services in the local community.

“The census is also critical to the Council and its partners in deciding how to plan and deliver services such as transport, adult social care, healthcare and education.

The British Library announced today that coinciding with the 2011 census, it will be holding a free exhibition exploring the history, reasons and social impact behind the UK’s population count.

Alan Self, census Area Manager for Hackney, added: “People should complete and return their questionnaire before, on or as soon as possible after 27 March 2011; they just need to make sure their answers refer to the number of people who stayed at that household overnight.”

The Census is completely confidential. The information is only used to produce and analyse data on numbers of people and the service need of the area. For the first time, people can fill in their census form online by visiting www.census.gov.uk.

15% of Hackney’s population live in households with seven or more people and the census form only allows for six people. If there are more than six people in the household, the householder must either complete the questionnaire online or order a continuation form or forms by calling the Census helpline. These forms will not be posted through letterboxes; census staff in Hackney will make contact with the householder to link the main form with the continuation form.

For further information about the census and what it means, visit www.census.gov.uk