FOI ref: FOI/2023/4840
You asked
In the England and Wales Census 2021 please provide the terms as filled in on the census form (Q27) in the write-in section for "gender identity" that were counted under the codes:
3) "Trans woman"
4) "Trans man"
5) "Non-binary"
We said
Thank you for your request.
We are considering a piece of work that will be published involving the coding index for the gender identity question. This work is ongoing and we require the time and space to plan for and develop a formal publication with the appropriate accompanying context and commentary to maximise public understanding of the data, ensure the information is formatted and presented appropriately, and to apply any necessary disclosure controls to the information.
This process is required to ensure that we produce information that is high quality, valuable, and trustworthy, which in turn ensures that we continue to serve the public good. If we were to release this information prior to the completion of this process, we run the risk of producing information that would obfuscate, rather than enhance public understanding. Therefore, the release of the requested data at this time would prejudice the purpose of this project and could undermine our reputation as a producer of reliable official statistics that serve the public.
As a result, Section 22A (b)(i) and (b)(iii) is engaged, whereby the information requested was obtained in the course of conducting an ongoing programme of research, which we have a view to publish, and release prior to our planned schedule would prejudice the research programme itself and/or the organisation conducting the research.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making, which requires time and space. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data, which is not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when the accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before. This is particularly important for this instance, as wider research into this topic is still in the early stages.