Census (Amendment) Act 2000
{{Infobox UK legislation
|short_title = Census (Amendment) Act 2000
|type = Act
|parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
|long_title = An Act to amend the Census Act 1920 to enable particulars to be required in respect of religion.
|year = 2000
|citation = 2000 c. 24
|introduced_by =
|introduced_commons=Jonathan Sayeed{{cite web|title=2000 Census Act|url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/relationships/collections1/parliament-and-the-census/2000-census/|website=parliament.uk|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|access-date=16 October 2016}}|introduced_lords=Lord Weatherill|territorial_extent = England and Wales
|commencement =
|repeal_date =
|replaces =
|amends = Census Act 1920
|amendments =
|related_legislation = Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969
|repealing_legislation=
|status = Current
|original_text = http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/24/contents/enacted
|legislation_history =
|UK-LEG_title =
|revised_text = http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/24/contents
|theyworkforyou =
|millbankhansard =
|eu_directives =
|collapsed =
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
|short_title = Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2000
|type = Scottish Act
|parliament = Scottish Parliament
|long_title = An Act of the Scottish Parliament to amend the Census Act 1920 to enable particulars about religion to be gathered.
|year = 2000
|citation = 2000 asp 3
|introduced_by = Jim Wallace{{cite web|title=Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill [AS INTRODUCED]|url=http://www.parliament.scot/S1_Bills/Census%20(Amendment)%20(Scotland)%20Bill/b8s1.pdf|website=parliament.scot|publisher=The Scottish Parliament|access-date=16 October 2016|archive-date=18 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018213931/http://www.parliament.scot/S1_Bills/Census%20(Amendment)%20(Scotland)%20Bill/b8s1.pdf|url-status=dead}}
|territorial_extent = {{flagcountry|Scotland}}
|royal_assent = 10 April 2000{{cite web|title=Session 1 Bills|url=http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/12424.aspx#8|website=parliament.scot|publisher=The Scottish Parliament|access-date=16 October 2016}}
|commencement =
|repeal_date =
|replaces =
|amends = Census Act 1920
|amendments =
|related_legislation = Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969
|repealing_legislation=
|status = Current
|original_text = http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2000/3/contents/enacted
|legislation_history = http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/12424.aspx#8
|UK-LEG_title =
|revised_text = http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2000/3/contents
|theyworkforyou =
|millbankhansard =
|eu_directives =
|collapsed =
}}
{{Wikisource|Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2000}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
The Census (Amendment) Act 2000 (2000 c. 24) and Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2000 (2000 asp 3) are acts of the Parliaments of the United Kingdom and Scotland, respectively. They introduced a question on the religion of respondents to the censuses of Great Britain.
Motivation
The inclusion of a question on religion was recommended in a white paper of March 1999. Parliament has indicated that inclusion of a question on religion was to provide useful demographics information for six key areas, namely "discrimination and racial disadvantage, social exclusion, health and community care planning, religious education in schools, regeneration of the inner cities, and helping voluntary sector religious groups".
Legislation
=England and Wales=
The Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the Census (Amendment) Act 2000 in order to provide for the asking of a question on religion in the census of England and Wales. Amendments were made to the original Bill by the House of Lords so that no person was to be subject to a penalty for refusing or neglecting to provide details in response to such a question.{{cite web|title=2001 CENSUS ADVISORY GROUP PAPER (00)15: LEGISLATION UPDATE|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/census/2011census/consultationsusersandlocalpartners/censusadvisorygroups/legislationcag/ag0015tcm77190551.pdf|website=ons.gov.uk|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=16 October 2016}}
=Scotland=
The Scottish Executive brought forward similar legislation, the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2000. The Bill was originally introduced by Jim Wallace and passed through the Parliament, receiving Royal Assent on 10 April 2000. which introduced similar provisions for the inclusion of a question on religion in the census of Scotland. The Scottish Act also provided that a person would not be penalised for failing or refusing to declare a religion on the census.{{cite book|last1=Lyall|first1=Francic|title=Church and State in Scotland: Developing Law|date=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781409450641|page=217}}
=Northern Ireland=
A similar amendment to census legislation was not required in Northern Ireland, as the Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 already included provisions for the taking of particulars of religion. All censuses in Ireland have included a question on religion since 1861.{{cite web|title=Census 2001: Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/census/2001/background/faqs.pdf|website=nisra.gov.uk|publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency|access-date=16 October 2016|page=6|archive-date=14 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114122402/http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/census/2001/background/faqs.pdf|url-status=dead}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{UK-LEG|path=ukpga/2000/24|title=Census (Amendment) Act 2000|type=ukpga}}
- {{UK-LEG|path=asp/2000/3|title=Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2000|type=asp}}
- [https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/relationships/collections1/parliament-and-the-census/2000-census/ Image of the Act on the UK Parliamentary website]
{{Census in the United Kingdom}}
Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 2000
Category:Censuses in the United Kingdom
Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning England and Wales