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Nottingham gets ready for Census 2011 (NCC release)

Nottingham is gearing up to play its part in the 2011 census.

To raise awareness of this major public event, Office for National Statistics (ONS) area co-ordinators were in the Old Market Square on Monday 21 February advising citizens of the importance of filling out their questionnaire and encouraging the public to respond promptly.

The event coincideed with the national launch of the 2011 Census. ONS are carrying out the next census on 27 March 2011. The census which takes place every ten years, counts every person and household in the country to find out more about the people who live in England and Wales, and about their local neighbourhoods.

The Government uses census information to work out how much money to give local councils to spend on public services. Councils also use the information it provides to plan vital services like schools, hospitals, housing, roads and emergency services.

Councillor Alan Clark, Nottingham City Council's Portfolio holder for Neighbourhood Regeneration, said:

The results of the census have serious financial implications for every council across the country. Many of the services we provide to citizens every day depend on it so it is vital we all play our part.

In these challenging times when Nottingham is one of the hardest hit authorities it's even more important that ONS receives accurate data so it can calculate what funding Nottingham is entitled to. Any undercount will have a direct impact on the funding we receive over the next 10 years. For every 1,000 people who do not take part the city could lose £2million over the next 10 years.

Questionnaires will be posted to every household across the city from March 4th onwards. Citizens can also complete their form online using their unique reference number included on their paper form.

Individual or personal data will not be passed on or shared with other parties, including the Council. All information provided will be kept confidential for 100 years.

Councillor Alan Clark added:

With only a few weeks to go to the 2011 census, it's important that everyone understands why they have to take part.

We will be doing a lot of work to support ONS to ensure the message gets into our communities so that the response we get is an accurate reflection of the city's make up.

To find out more about the 2011 Census visit www.census.gov.uk or call 0300 0201 101.

(Wednesday 02 March 2011 09:00:00 GMT)

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