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CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - LONG TITLE

An Act to make provision for the taking from time to time of a
census for Northern Ireland and for otherwise collecting statistical
information.
[24th June 1969]
Power to direct taking of census.

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 1

1.(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Governor may by
Order in Council from time to time direct that a census of
population shall be taken in Northern Ireland.

(2) An Order under subsection (1) may prescribe

(a)the date on which the census is to be taken;

(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.

(3) An Order shall not be made under this section so as to
require

(a)a census to be taken in Northern Ireland 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 Northern Ireland; or

(b)any particulars to be stated other than particulars with respect
to such matters as are mentioned in the Schedule.

(4) No recommendation shall be made to the Governor in Council to
make an Order in Council under this section unless a draft of the
Order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution
of each House of Parliament.

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 2
Central authority for and expenses of census.

2.(1) The Ministry of Finance shall superintend the taking of a
census directed to be taken under this Act.

(2) The Registrar General for Northern Ireland (in this Act referred
to as "the Registrar General") shall make such arrangements and do
all such things as he deems 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, and for that purpose shall
make arrangements for the preparation and issue of the necessary
forms and instructions and for the collection of the forms when
filled up.

(3) Expenses incurred, with the approval of the Ministry of Finance,
for the purposes of this Act may be paid out of moneys provided
by Parliament.

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 3
Regulations with respect to proceedings for taking census.

3.(1) For the purpose of enabling any Order in Council directing a
census to be taken to be carried into effect, the Ministry of
Finance may make regulations

(a)providing for the division of Northern Ireland 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 such persons to act as and be enumerators for the
purposes of this Act, to superintend or assist in the enumeration
and to perform such other duties in connection with the taking of
the census as may be prescribed by the regulations;

(c)requiring persons employed for the purpose of the census to give
an undertaking with respect to the performance of their duties, and
authorising such persons as may be prescribed to witness such an
undertaking;

(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 be
made;

(f)with respect to the forms to be used in the taking of a census
and the distribution and collection of forms and returns; and

(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) Regulations made under this section shall be subject to negative
resolution.

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 4
Abstracts of returns and certificates of population.

4.(1) The Registrar General shall, as soon as may be after the
taking of a census, prepare abstracts of and reports on the census
returns, and each such report shall be printed and laid before both
Houses of Parliament at as early a date as may be found
practicable.

(2) The Registrar General may, at the request of any local
authority or any person and on payment of such fee, if any, as he
may determine, cause abstracts to be prepared containing statistical
information which can be derived from the census returns but is not
supplied by the census abstracts or reports and which, in his
opinion, the authority or person may reasonably require.

(3) A certificate purporting to be signed by the Registrar General
shall be admitted in any court of law as evidence of the
population at a census taken under this Act or any Act passed
before the passing of this Act of any county, county or other
borough, town, district or other area to which it refers, and the
Registrar General shall, if possible, deliver such certificate to any
person on payment of a fee of one pound.

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 5
Statistics between one census and another.

5. The Ministry of Finance may collect and publish from time to
time any available statistical information concerning the population
of Northern Ireland in the interval between one census and another.

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 6
Information to be used for census only and returns etc. to be kept
secret.

6.(1) Information obtained for the purposes of a census under this
Act shall not be used otherwise than in accordance with this Act.

(2) Information obtained for the purposes of a census under any Act
passed before the passing of this Act shall not be used otherwise
than in the manner in which information obtained for the purposes
of a census under this Act may be used.

(3) Any person having the custody, whether by himself or on behalf
of any other person, of any forms of return, enumeration books or
other confidential documents relating to a census taken under this
Act or any Act passed before the passing of this Act shall not
permit any other person without lawful authority to have access
thereto.

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 7
Penalties for offences.

7.(1) If any superintendent, enumerator, or other person employed
under this Act makes wilful default in the performance of his
duties under this Act or any Order in Council or regulations made
or instructions issued thereunder, he shall be guilty of an offence
and for each such offence be liable on summary conviction to a
fine not exceeding ten pounds.

(2) If any person by whom a return is to be made

(a)refuses, or without lawful excuse neglects to fill up or cause
to be filled up the form of return to the best of his knowledge
and belief, or to sign and deliver it; or

(b)wilfully makes, signs, or delivers, or causes to be made, signed,
or delivered, any false return of any matter specified in the form;
or

(c)refuses to answer, or wilfully gives a false answer to, any
question necessary for obtaining the information required to be
obtained under or for the purposes of this Act; or

(d)uses, publishes or communicates to any person otherwise than in
accordance with this Act any information given to him for the
purpose of making such return;

(3) If any person who is required under this Act to answer any
question, refuses to answer, or wilfully gives a false answer, to
that question, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall for each
such offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not
exceeding ten pounds:

Provided that a person, being required to state his religious
profession, shall not be subject to any penalty for refusing to do
so.

(4) If any person employed under this Act or under any Act under
which a census was taken before the passing of this Act uses,
publishes or communicates, without lawful authority, any information
acquired in the course of his employment, he shall be guilty of an
offence and for each such offence be liable

(a)on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding two years or to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds;

(b)on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
six months or to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds;

(5) If any person, possessed of any information which to his
knowledge has been disclosed in contravention of this Act, uses,
publishes or communicates such information, he shall be guilty of an
offence and shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction
to a fine not exceeding ten pounds.

CENSUS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 8
Short title and repeal.

8.(1) This Act may be cited as the Census Act (Northern Ireland)
1969.

Subs.(2) repeals 1965 c.5 (NI)1. 




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URL: http://www.bailii.org/nie/legis/num_act/cai1969256.txt