Dear Ed,

Assessment of 2022 Census in Scotland

Thank you for your letter of 4 April and for sharing your assessment report with me.

ONS is working with the devolved administrations through the regular UK Census Committee and UK Census and Population Statistics Steering Group to agree the approach to comparability in UK population estimates.  To date we have stated that UK estimates will always be an aggregate of the best available estimates from each of the four countries, based on 2021 (for England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or 2022 (for Scotland) Census results.

I note your point about ensuring detailed information on this is made sufficiently public and visible. I will ensure this requirement continues to be incorporated in our communication plans as we progress the work, including publishing an update over the summer.

Yours sincerely

Jen Woolford, Director of Population Statistics