Census Act, 1920. 10 & 11 Geo. 5.
An Act to make provision for the taking from time to time of a Census for Great Britain or any area therein and for otherwise obtaining Statistical Information with respect to the Population of Great Britain [16th August 1920.]
Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows :
1.-(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, it shall be lawful for His Majesty by Order in Council from time to time to direct that a census shall be taken for Great Britain, or for any part of Great Britain, and any Order under this section may prescribe—
(a) the date on which the census is to be taken ; and
(b) the persons by whom and with respect to whom the returns for the purpose of
the census are to be made ; and
(c) the particulars to be stated in the returns :
Provided that-
(i) an Order shall not be made under this section so as to require a census to
be taken in any part of Great Britain in any year unless at the commencement of
that year at least five years have elapsed since the commencement of the year
in which a census was last taken in that part of Great Britain ; and
(ii) no particulars shall be required to be stated other than particulars with
respect to such matters as are mentioned in the Schedule of this Act.
(2) Before any Order in Council is made under this section, a draft
thereof shall be laid before each House of Parliament for a period of not less
than twenty days on which that House has sat, and, if either House before the
expiration of that period presents an address to His Majesty against the draft
or any part thereof, no further proceedings shall be taken thereon, but without
prejudice to the making of a new draft Order :
Provided that, if by part of any such Order it is proposed to prescribe any
particulars with respect to any of the matters mentioned in paragraph six of
the Schedule to this Act, that part of the Order shall not have effect unless
both Houses by resolution approve that part of the draft, or, if any
modifications in that part are agreed to by both Houses, except as so modified.
(3) Any Order in Council made under this section may be revoked, amended or varied by a subsequent Order.
2.-(1) It shall be the duty of the Registrar-General to make such
arrangements and do all such things as are necessary for the taking of a census
in accordance with the provisions of this Act and of any Order in Council or
regulations made thereunder, und for that purpose to make arrangements for the
preparation and issue of the necessary forms and instructions and for the
collection of the forms when filled up.
(2) The Registrar-General in the exercise of his powers and in the performance
of his duties under this Act or under any Order in Council or regulations made
thereunder, shall be subject to the control of, and comply with any directions
given by, the Minister of Health.
(3) Any expenses incurred with the sanction of the Treasury by the Minister of
Health or the Registrar-General in connection with the taking of a census or
otherwise in connection with the exercise of his powers or the performance of
his duties under this Act shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by
Parliament.
3.-(1) For the purpose of enabling any Order in Council directing a
census to be taken to be carried into effect, the Minister of Health may make
regulations-
(a) providing for the division of the country into districts for the purpose of
the census and the appointment of persons to act in those districts in
connection with the census;
(b) requiring superintendent registrars, registrars, overseers and assistant
overseers of the poor, relieving officers for poor law unions, collectors of
the poor rate, and such other persons as may be employed for the purpose of the
census, to perform such duties in connection with the taking of the census as
may be prescribed;
(c) requiring persons employed for the purpose of the census to make a
statutory declaration with respect to the performance of their duties, and
authorizing any superintendent registrar or registrar to take such a
declaration ;
(d) requiring the chief officers of public or charitable institutions, or of
any other institutions prescribed by the regulations, to make returns with
respect to the inmates thereof ;
(e) requiring information to be given to the persons liable to make returns by
the persons with respect to whom the returns are to made ;
(f) with respect to the forms to be used in the taking of a census :
(g) making provision with respect to any other matters with respect to which it
is necessary to make provision for the purpose of carrying into effect the
provisions of the Order in Council.
(2) Every regulation made under this section shall be laid before both Houses
of Parliament as soon as may be after it is made, and, if an address is
presented to His Majesty by either House within the next subsequent twenty days
on which that House has sat next after any such regulation is laid before it
praying that the regulation may be annulled, His Majesty in Council may amend
the regulation, and it shall thenceforth be void, but without prejudice to the
validity of anything done thereunder.
4.-(1) The Registrar-General shall, as soon as may be after the
taking of a census, prepare reports on the census returns, and every such
report shall be printed and laid before both Houses of Parliament.
(2) The Registrar-General may, if he so thinks fit, at the request and cost of
any local authority or person, cause abstracts to be prepared containing any
such statistical information, being information which is not contained in the
reports made by him under this section and which in his opinion it is
reasonable for that authority or person to require, as can be derived from the
census returns.
5. It shall be the duty of the Registrar-General from time to time to collect and publish any available statistical information with respect to the number and condition of the population in the interval between one census and another, and otherwise to further the supply and provide for the better co-ordination of such information, and the Registrar-General may make arrangements with any Government Department or local authority for the purpose of acquiring any materials or information necessary for the purpose aforesaid.
6.-(1) If an application is made to the Minister of Health by a
local authority to which this section applies asking that a census may be taken
for the whole or any part of the area of the authority, or for an area
consisting of the whole or any part of that area and of the whole or any part
of an adjoining area, the Minister and His Majesty may by Order in Council, if
it appears to His Majesty expedient so to do for the purpose of facilitating
the due performance by the local council of its statutory duties, direct that a
census shall be taken for the area specified in the application, or for any
part of that area.
(2) The provisions of this Act with respect to the taking of a census for Great
Britain (other than the provision with respect to the interval between one
census and another) shall, subject to such exceptions, modifications and
adaptations as may be
specified in the Order, apply to the taking of a census under this section.
(3) The local authorities to which this section applies are the common council
of the City of London, metropolitan borough councils, the councils of counties,
the councils of boroughs, and urban district councils :
Provided that, without the prejudice to the power of any other authority being
a local authority to which this section applies to make an application under
this section, an application may be made by the council of a county and an
order may be made under this section with respect to the whole of the area of
the council, including the areas of any authorities which are local authorities
for the purposes of this section.
7. Any expenses incurred in connection with the taking of a census under this Act in pursuance of an application made by a local authority, including the publication of any reports by a local authority, including the publication of any reports or returns relating to the census, shall be paid by the local authority by which the application for the census was made, and any expenses so incurred, and any other expenses incurred by a local authority under this Act, shall be defrayed in the case of the common council of the City of London and a metropolitan borough out of the general rate, in the case of a county council as expenses for general county purposes, and in the case of other councils as expenses incurred in the administration of the Public Health Acts, 1875 to 1908.
8.-(1) If any
person-
(a) refuses or neglects to comply with or acts in contravention of any of the
provisions of this Act or any Order in Council or regulations made under this
Act ; or
(b) being a person required under this Act to make a statutory declaration with
respect to the performance of his duties, makes a false declaration ; or
(c) being a person required by any Order in Council or regulations made under
this Act to make, sign, or deliver any document, makes, signs, or delivers, or
causes to be made, signed, or delivered a false document ; or
(d) being a person required in pursuance of any such
Order in Council or regulations to answer any question, refuses to answer or
gives a false answer to that question :
he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not
exceeding ten pounds.
(2) If any person-
(a) being a person employed in taking a census, without lawful authority
publishes or communicates to any person otherwise than in the ordinary course
of such employment any information acquired by him in the course of his
employment ; or
(b) having possession of any information which to his knowledge has been
disclosed in contravention of this Act, publishes or communicates that
information to any other person ;
he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall on conviction be liable to
imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding two years or
to a fine, or to both such imprisonment and fine.
9. In the application of this Act to Scotland-
(1) The Secretary for Scotland shall be substituted for the Minister of Health
and the Registrar-General for Scotland shall be substituted for the
Registrar-General ;
(2) The local authorities to which the section of this Act relating to the
taking of a local census applies shall be the councils of counties and burghs,
and any expenses incurred by such councils under this Act shall be defrayed in
the case of a county council out of the general purpose rate, and in the case
of a town council out of the burgh general improvement assessment or any other
assessment leviable in equal proportions on owners and occupiers, provided that
the ratepayers of a police burgh shall not be assed by the county council for
any such expenses ;
(3) Sheriffs, sheriff clerks, chief magistrates, county clerks, town clerks,
inspectors of the poor, and assistant inspectors of the poor, shall in
connection with the taking of a census, perform such duties as may be
prescribed by regulations made under this Act.
10.-(1) This Act may be cited as the Census Act, 1920.
(2) This Act shall not extend to
SCHEDULE.
Matters in respect of which Particulars may be
required.
1. Names, sex, age.
2. Occupation, profession, trade or employment.
3. Nationality, birthplace, race, language.
4. Place of abode and character of dwelling.
5. Condition as to marriage, relation to head of family, issue born in
marriage.
6. Any other matters with respect to which it is desirable to obtain
statistical information with a view to ascertaining the social or civil
condition of the population.
See also
Census (Confidentiality) Act 1991 (c.6)
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