Question Author
Any refusal to complete a form, encountered by field officers was reported to Census HQ and, if there was clear and sufficient documentary evidence of a refusal, and the refusal persisted, consideration was given to a prosecution. The Registrar General gave particular attention to those reported cases where refusals were accompanied by acts of intimidation towards field staff.
Field staff were given specific instructions on the necessary procedures for attempting to conduct Interviews Under Caution under the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
Details of 6 per cent of the 1,500 or so fully reported incidents of refusal were passed on to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Solicitors for consideration of legal action. A further 4,600 or so incidences of alleged refusal were reported but documentary evidence was insufficient to support prosecution.