THE census, which has been carried out in Britain every ten years since 1801, is taking place on Sunday.

The census is a count of the whole population of the country and provides a unique set of facts and figures because it counts everyone in the country at the same time.

The demographic information revealed by the census dictates, to a point, the national and local government spending plans for all the strategic services: health, transport, education and housing in the future.

An accurate count of people in the area may therefore have repercussions on the grants available from the central Government.

The new question in the census form about religion together with the ethnic group question should also give a more accurate numbers in each category and may even help to uncover racial inequalities.

Although it is expected that the figures concerning age, sex and marital status will be available by the middle of next year, the full statistics will not be available until summer of 2003.

WYCOMBE Race Equality Council (WREC) has won a Home Office grant of over £105,000 for a joint project with Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Probation Service.

The project, which will run until March 2003, aims to increase Asian and other minority ethnic representation among the staff of the probation service, especially in High Wycombe and to recruit Asian mentors for basic skills work.The project also involves the Asian community especially members of religious and business groups, who are invited to a small focus group of Asian faiths at the University College on Thursday, at 6.30pm.

If you have not received an invitation please contact Zia-Ullah or Ranjit Dheer, the director of WREC on (01494) 527616. If you have received an invitation but have not yet replied, then please do so today.