{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/census-regulations-northern-ireland-2020/regulation-16",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/census-regulations-northern-ireland-2020/regulation-16.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/2020/116",
  "legislation_title": "The Census Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/census-regulations-northern-ireland-2020",
  "path": "regulation/16",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "16",
  "heading": "Return of questionnaires from households and electors",
  "text": "(1) Every prescribed person to whom an online household pack has been sent or delivered, or on whose behalf delivery was taken under these Regulations, must unless that prescribed person has requested a paper household pack, by census day or as soon as possible thereafter use the unique access code provided to access the online questionnaire H4 and complete and return that questionnaire electronically in accordance with the instructions provided.\n(2) Every prescribed person to whom a paper household pack has been sent or delivered, or on whose behalf delivery was taken under these Regulations, must by census day or as soon as possible thereafter\n(a) use the unique access code provided to access the online questionnaire H4 and complete and submit that questionnaire electronically in accordance with the instructions provided; or\n(b) complete the copy of paper questionnaire H4 included in the pack, and the continuation paper questionnaire HC4 if required, place it in the pre-paid reply envelope provided and send the questionnaire H4, and questionnaire HC4 if required, to the Registrar General by post.\n(3) Every elector to whom an online individual pack has been sent or delivered, or on whose behalf delivery was taken under these Regulations, must, unless that elector has requested a paper individual pack, by census day or as soon as possible thereafter use the unique access code provided to access the online questionnaire I4 and complete and return that questionnaire electronically in accordance with the instructions provided.\n(4) Every elector to whom a paper individual pack has been sent or delivered, or on whose behalf delivery was taken under these Regulations, must by census day or as soon as possible thereafter—\n(a) use the unique access code provided to access the online questionnaire I4 and complete and return that questionnaire electronically in accordance with the instructions provided; or\n(b) complete the paper questionnaire I4 included in the pack, place it in the pre-paid reply envelope provided and send the paper questionnaire I4 to the Registrar General by post.\n(5) When a completed online questionnaire H4 or I4 has been received by the Registrar General electronically, the Registrar General must ensure that a confirmation of receipt is offered electronically to the person submitting the online questionnaire.\n(6) After each completed online questionnaire H4 or I4 or paper questionnaire H4 or I4, has been received by the Registrar General, the Registrar General must make a record in the questionnaire tracking system to show that the relevant questionnaire has been returned.\n(7) Where an appointee is satisfied, having spoken with a prescribed person for the purposes of articles 5(1) or (3) of the Census Order, that the prescribed person in question—\n(a) is incapable of completing and returning a questionnaire; or\n(b) is unable to authorise any person to act on the prescribed person’s behalf,\nthen the appointee may, in accordance with instructions issued by the Registrar General, make enquiries about the particulars which that prescribed person would be required by the Census Order to provide and record the answers to those enquiries which may be used for the purpose of the census.\n(8) After an appointee makes a record in accordance with paragraph (7), the Registrar General must make a record in the questionnaire tracking system to show that a record under paragraph (7) has been made in respect of that prescribed person.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2020/116/regulation/16",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T00:43:37.230686+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}