Public services in Scotland’s poorest areas could be harmed by widespread refraining from this year’s census in urban areas, experts fear.
Public policy experts and opposition parties are worried after it turned out that by Monday, only 86% of households across the country had completed it, well below the 94% target, despite a four-week extension to 31 May.
The Scottish government postponed the census until April, although it took place in the rest of the UK last year. Created online by default for the first time at a price of £ 150 million, it is expected to miss all its key objectives.
One of the goals described by the Scottish National Record as a “critical success factor” is to achieve a minimum response rate of 85% in all 32 local authorities in Scotland.
By Thursday last week, 25 municipal districts had crossed that threshold. In the areas with the highest deprivation rates in Scotland, it was around 80%. It is 79% in Glasgow, 80% in West Dunbartonshire, 82% in Inverclyde and Dundee and 83% in North Lanarkshire.
Philip White, director of the IPPR Scotland Public Policy Brain Trust, said the low response rates were significant, given that the census provided “vital” data that helped support policies and spending on health, education and social services.
“It is extremely worrying that areas with the highest levels of deprivation in Scotland, such as Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire, have not yet seen even an 80% response to the census,” he said.
“Scotland has some very welcome ambitions to provide a more inclusive economy, but poor quality data will make this task more difficult. Policymakers need to ensure that public services in areas with high levels of deprivation do not see negative impacts as a result of potentially skewed census results.
The census deadline was extended in late April after Angus Robertson, Scotland’s constitutional secretary, said 23% of Scots had not yet responded. He warned the hosts that they risk a fine or even imprisonment for non-compliance.
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National Records of Scotland announced that its field counting and advertising campaigns will close on Wednesday. Paul Lowe, its chief executive, called on people to fill out their forms before the deadline.
“The big decisions for our local communities and our nation as a whole are based on census data. “Everyone’s circumstances need to be captured to ensure that the best decisions are made, so please finish now,” he said.
Sarah Boyc, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Labor Constitution, said: “There was one [Scottish National party] it recently breaks down after another, but this mess will take years to clear.
“Without action, this will lead to a decade of injustice in Scotland, as the worst communities remain to pay the price for the failure of the SNP. The SNP must determine how to make sure that this incorrect census will not leave the poorest areas in need.
Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, said 10 days ago that there were questions about the reliability of the census. “We will work to ensure that the exercise was reliable and that the information gathered is reliable. It would be appropriate to take expert advice on this, “she told the ICJ.
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