Make sure you complete your Census questionnaire as the information you provide on your household will be used to help plan services for your community.

The Census, which is taking place on Sunday 27 March, will count everybody in the country, recording their age, sex, marital status and ethnicity, in order to give a snapshot picture of the population on that day. It is carried out by the Office for National Statistics every ten years.

The information provided will be used by the Government to distribute money to local communities and by St Albans City District Council and Hertfordshire County Council to plan future service provision, including the number of school places available. It can also be used by you to trace your family tree, by academics to spot trends and by businesses to develop new products.

The Office of National Statistics will send census forms to each household in the post during March. You can complete the paper questionnaire and return it to the Office of National Statistics in the post in the pre-paid envelope provided as close to 27 March as possible. Alternatively, you can fill in the same form online at: www.census.gov.uk, but you will need your unique internet access code from your paper questionnaire. You can complete the questionnaire on, before, or after 27 March, but everyone living or staying in the household on that date must be included.

Anyone requiring support completing the forms can attend a completion event in the District where staff from the Office of National Statistics will be on hand to answer questions and to help fill in the form. If you require help to complete the form on the day, you will need to bring along the form received in the post as it contains a unique registration number.

The sessions are taking place at:
· The Old Town Hall, Market Place, St Peter’s Street, St Albans in the ground floor foyer area on Wednesday, 23 March from 10am to 4pm.
· St Albans Central Library, The Maltings, Chequer Street, St Albans on Wednesday, 30 March from 10am to 3pm.

Guides for people whose first language is not English are available in more than 50 languages and can be downloaded, or ordered, from www.census.gov.uk. The census questionnaire is also available in large print and there is a British Sign Language clip on the website.

You can arrange for a home visit if you need help completing the questionnaire by calling the Census helpline on 0300 0201 101 which is available from 5 March 2011.

It only takes 10 minutes on average to complete the Census questionnaire and all personal information is kept confidential for 100 years. Remember, it is a legal requirement for all households to complete a Census form and you may be fined up to £1,000 for failing to do so.

More information about the Census is available is at: http://2011.census.gov.uk/My-census/Frequently-asked-questions#3