Keep counting carers

[Matt Hill]

We won!!!

Thanks to all of you who wrote to the Minister and the ONS. The treasury have today written to confirm money will be made available so the extra page of questions can be included in the 2011 census.

This is our statement :

[quote]Carers keep being counted
02 April 2008
Carers of sick and disabled people have won their battle to keep a question on caring in the 2011 census. Treasury Minister Angela Eagle has today confirmed that money has been made available for an extra page of questions that had been under threat.

A question on caring responsibilities was included for the first time ever in the 2001 Census and has led to unprecedented, reliable knowledge both locally and nationally about carers.

Today’s announcement was warmly welcomed by Carers UK who have been running a campaign, Keep Counting Carers, which has involved the support of carers, politicians, academics and researchers.

Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK said “This is fantastic news and down to the hard campaigning of carers, MP’s and academics. We can’t underestimate just how critical it is to have a question on caring in the census. Thanks to the information we gathered from the 2001 census we know that caring is an issue that affects millions of families across the UK. The census provides the best opportunity to get hard evidence on how we can support carers.â€Â

[gordie07487]

*****dy well done

[rosemary]

Good result Matt

[Matt Hill]

The campaign win on the census has one more hurdle to go! This decision made to fund the extra census questions only applies to England and Wales. It has not yet been confirmed that Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow the same course. Although we expect this will happen, they usually follow the same questions as England and Wales, no announcements have been made about whether this will be the case in 2011.

It is vital that census data about carers comes from the whole of the UK. So just to make sure that the questions on carers are included throughout the UK, Carers UK, Carers Scotland and Carers Northern Ireland are calling on carers in those nations to take the following actions:

If you live in Scotland
Contact your MSP to table a written question about the Census in Scotland and whether it will include a question on carers. (Find your MSP at www.writetothem.com)

You can also write to the General Register Office of Scotland asking if they will follow the decision in England and Wales. Write to]If you live in Northern Ireland [/b]
Contact your MLA to table a written question about the Census in Northern Ireland and whether it will include a question on carers. (Find your MLA at www.writetothem.com)

You can also write to the Census Office for Northern Ireland asking if they will follow the decision in England and Wales. Write to:

Census Office (mark your letter Census 2011)
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
2-14 Castle Street
Belfast
BT1 1SA

[www.carerwatch.com]

I already have Matt, and I have been assured its SNP to have the relevant Carers questions in the the 2011 census