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Census: Cornwall Council encourages people to identify as Cornish

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Census day is Sunday 21 March but people can complete it in advance

People are being encouraged to write Cornish as their national identity and ethnicity on the upcoming census.

Cornwall Council is urging households to "tell them we're Cornish" and help "inform where millions of pounds of public funding is spent".

Although there is no tick box option for Cornish on the 2021 census, people can select "other" and write it in.

It is an offence to supply false information or to not complete the census, with fines of up to £1,000.

Pete Benton, Director of Population and Public Policy Operations at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), is originally from Helston, in Cornwall and said: "I will be proudly saying that I am Cornish."

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For the first time the ONS will produce an analytical report on the population which identify as Cornish.

It will include how their health, housing, work and education differs from those who do not identify as Cornish.

It is a legal requirement to complete the census, which is collected every 10 years.

In 2011, more than 80,000 people across Cornwall, England and Wales chose to record their nationality or ethnicity as Cornish by using the write-in option.

In 2001, about 37,000 people did so.

ONS National identity formONS
For the first time the ONS will produce an analytical report on the population which identify as Cornish

Julian German, Leader of Cornwall Council, said: "If you want your voice to be counted as Cornish, you can do so and help influence how services are planned and funded in Cornwall, and to provide information about how the Cornish are performing as a group across the country."

There is also a question on the census where Cornish speakers can record it as their language.

The ONS said: "Everyone who wishes to identify as Cornish will be able to do so using search-as-you-type online and a write-in option on paper questionnaires."