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Angus Robertson’s botched census has cost taxpayers an “exorbitant” £140m as the SNP were accused of losing public trust to run big projects. The Scottish Government decided to break away from the rest of the UK and carry out the survey alone in 2022, a year later than England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The cost of the census sky-rocketed 120 per cent from the last time it was run back in 2011, when the total bill was £63.5m. It descended into a farce when only 79 per cent of Scots filled it in before the deadline, leading to it being extended.
National Records of Scotland revealed that the total outlay to date on the project has been £135m with an additional £5m forecast to be spent over the next two years on the process. The deadline extension added around £6m to the initial costs as some people boycotted it.
The first results from the census will not be published until the autumn. Mr Robertson was the cabinet secretary appointed to oversee the project but came in for criticism after spending a substantial period abroad as it struggled to attract responses.
READ MORE: ‘Air Miles’ Angus Robertson evokes fury as he hosts lavish taxpayer-funded £8.5k reception in Brussels
Government quango the National Records of Scotland (NRS) carried out the survey which happens once a decade. But the SNP ignored warnings about going it alone without the backing of the UK Government and chose to delay it a year later than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and blamed this decision on the coronavirus pandemic.
Going out of sync with the other UK countries meant that some Scots reported confusion about what they had to fill out. It failed to meet its target of 94 per cent of the country completing it, and most local authority areas achieving 85 per cent or more.
(Image: PA)
But the completion rate at the original deadline on April 30 was a lowly 79 per cent, with 97 per cent of people across the rest of the UK filling it in during the same timeframe. Because of this low rate a one-month extension was added until May 31 which managed to increase the rate to 89 per cent but cost taxpayers an additional £6m.
The Scottish Lib Dems revealed these figures through a freedom of information request, and MSP Willie Rennie pointed out that this proved that the SNP cannot be trusted with major projects. He said: “Going it alone was a foolish decision by SNP ministers.
“The Auditor General warned this led to increased costs and additional work. Taxpayers have ended up paying far more for fewer people to respond. Ministers made significant changes including moving the census online and getting out of sync with data collection elsewhere in the UK.
“Then they refused to learn any lessons out of nationalistic belligerence. Now we are seeing the exorbitant price tag, it just hammers home to the public once again that the SNP cannot be trusted to deliver a project on time.
“What’s even worse is that botching the census will now have a knock-on effect on the delivery of government services for the next decade. The Cabinet Secretary in charge needs to set out what kind of review of the census process will be done and how the government will ensure these errors are not repeated.”
(Image: Ken Jack/Getty Images)
Scottish Conservative Deputy Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Spokesperson Alexander Stewart MSP, added: “The SNP’s running of Scotland’s census descended into utter chaos and now taxpayers are having to foot an astonishing bill as a result of the nationalists’ gross mismanagement.
“SNP ministers typically decided they knew best and failed to run the census in sync with the rest of the United Kingdom. That led to a poorer return rate across the board – despite numerous extensions – and a bill that has ultimately spiralled out of control.
“This SNP government have been famed for their disastrous handling of public projects during their 16 years in office and the botched census is another prime example. Their arrogant decision to do things differently has not only left taxpayers with a bill for over £140 million but will also impact on how future policy decisions are made too. Ministers must urgently explain what lessons – if any – they have learned from this debacle.”
An NRS spokesman said: “The census provides unique data which helps local authorities, businesses, charities and central government plan a wide range of vital public services, to improve the lives of those living and working in Scotland. No other survey provides the range of information that the census does.
“Estimates from censuses elsewhere have shown that every £1 spent on census returns around £5 in economic benefit. Whilst much of the costs of the census are focused on key delivery years, most long-term benefits are felt throughout the extended programme life-cycle, after the collection phases.
“NRS has continued to ensure we only spend what we need to deliver a census and its associated benefits. Where efficiencies can be made they have been to ensure value for public money.”
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