Privacy Statement
Your privacy is very important to us. We aim to be as clear as possible about how and why we use information about you on this website. This statement explains how we will use and protect any information that you give us when you visit this website.Scope
This privacy statement relates to the internet services provided as part of the 2011 Census and the 2009 Census Rehearsal. These services include the online questionnaire, the online help centre and online requests for additional questionnaires and other services.What information do we collect and why?
We collect three kinds of information from you: the answers you give when you complete our online questionnaire, your name and address (if you ask for any materials to be sent to you) and site usage information.Your answers are combined with those we collect from returned paper questionnaires. This information is used to produce statistics which help government and local authorities to plan and allocate funding to public services and support further research over the next ten years.
Your name and address will only be used if you request additional materials from us, so that we can post them to you. You can either enter your name and address details yourself, or provide the questionnaire ID printed on the paper questionnaire so that we can retrieve them automatically. Your name and address details are not passed to any other government department or third party organisation. No personal information is stored on the computer you are using.
The information we gather from site usage is analysed to understand how the site is being used. We need to do this to make sure it is working effectively and providing the correct information to support the census. We analyse this information ourselves - and do not pass it to any third parties for analysis.
Who will see your information?
Your information is used only by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is not shared with any other government departments, but may be made available to a small number of accredited researchers. Access to your information is strictly controlled to ensure confidentiality.How long do we keep your information?
ONS holds your information for 100 years, after which it will be made available to family historians and other interested parties.What are cookies and why do we use them?
Cookies are small electronic files which we place on your computer system to access our websites. We use these files to give you a better user experience. For example, if you leave the online questionnaire before completing it, the cookie will make sure the system takes you back to the page you were completing before you left the site. The cookie does not attempt to gather any personal information about you or your use of the internet.Security
Under the Data Protection Act, the Census Act 1920, the Statistics & Registration Services Act (SRSA) 2007 and Census Act (NI) 1969, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. We use leading security technologies, including industry-standard SSL encryption software, when processing sensitive information to safeguard your data and we apply strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to it.Phishing
Phishing (pronounced ’fishing‘) refers to deceptive emails and other communications usually designed to trick you into revealing your personal information. Phishing emails often appear to come from legitimate sources. ONS will never send you an email with a web address link or ask you to enter or confirm your security details.After the census rehearsal we will email a number of people who have used the online questionnaire, asking for feedback. If we send you one of these emails, we will not ask you for your log-in details or other personal information.
Protecting yourself
While we will make sure your information is collected and held securely, there are some additional steps that you can take to protect yourself and your personal information while using this site.- Keep your Internet Access Code and Questionnaire ID safe. It is specific to your household and should be treated as confidential information.
- Keep your web browsers and firewalls software up to date.
- Use only the official census website to gain access to the online questionnaire, using the address printed on the front page of your paper questionnaire.
- Be sure to log out and close your browser after using the site. Closing a tab in your browser may not be enough. Note that after a period of ten minutes of inactivity, the site will automatically end your session.
- Once you have submitted your questionnaire we recommend that you print your confirmation receipt and destroy your paper questionnaire securely. If you have access to a shredder, you should shred the front page of your paper questionnaire, which contains your address and Internet Access Code. Otherwise, tear the page into small pieces and recycle it.
- We will never send you an email asking for personal information or include a link to any website, including the official census website. If you do receive an email of this kind that appears to be from us, you should delete it.
Will I be contacted?
If you have started the online questionnaire but not submitted it we will email you a reminder at the end of October 2009 (if we have your email address). This reminder will not contain a web address link or ask you to enter or confirm your security details.At a later date, we will email a number of households who have used the online questionnaire for the 2009 Census Rehearsal, asking for their feedback.
Submitting and deleting data
If you start the online questionnaire but forget to click the ‘submit’ button at the end, we will capture any information that you have entered and add it to the response database. We will do this when the online questionnaire system is no longer live.If you start the online questionnaire but decide you don’t want to carry on with it, you can delete the responses you have entered so far, as long as you have not already clicked the ‘submit’ button.
