Today is deadline day for Scotland’s census. When threats of £1,000 fines were delayed at the start of this month just 74 per cent had returned their form. It’s now 86 per cent. Better, but far short of the 94 per cent national target. Some 370,000 households are yet to complete it. The target of 85 per cent in all local areas hasn’t been met either. Nicola Sturgeon has admitted the outputs could be unreliable. Academics have also warned the data could be ‘useless’ because of low uptake and extensions to the collection period. The minister responsible – Angus Robertson – jetted off to Brussels this morning.
Why the low return rate? One theory is that unionists are ‘boycotting’ it to make the government look bad. Media coverage has inadvertently undermined it too. But is that true?
That Scotland’s completion rate hasn’t reached its target, or levels achieved in England and Wales has real consequences.
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