### Census and Statistics Ordinance 《普查及統計條例》

14. Questions by census officers to be answered
(1) Every person, whether or not he is a specified person, in possession of information required to be given for the completion of a schedule shall, to the best of his knowledge and belief, answer any question put to him by a census officer which is necessary for the completion of the schedule.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence.

15. Duty of occupiers to grant access to premises
(1) The occupier of any premises shall permit any census officer seeking access to the premises in accordance with section 13 to enter the premises for the purpose of the exercise of any of his functions under that section.
(2) The occupier of any premises shall, upon the request of a census officer, permit such officer to paint or mark on or affix to such premises any letters, marks, numbers or other means of identification which appear to the Commissioner to be necessary for the purpose of carrying out a statistical inquiry.
(3) Any person who—
(a) refuses or fails to comply with any request made to him by a census officer under subsection (1) or (2); or
(b) before the expiration of a period of 2 months from the date on which any letter, mark, number or other means of identification is painted or marked or affixed by a census officer under subsection (2), removes or obliterates or alters such letter, mark, number or other means of identification without the permission of a census officer,
commits an offence.

16. False entries in schedules or returns
Any person who enters or causes to be entered in any schedule or return required to be completed or made by him under this Ordinance any particular which he knows to be false or which he does not believe to be true commits an offence.

17. Obstructing census officers
Any person who obstructs any census officer acting in the course of his duty under this Ordinance commits an offence.

18. Impersonation of census officers, etc.
Any person who—
(a) with the intention of obtaining any information from any person, impersonates a census officer; or
(b) without lawful excuse, has in his possession any document purporting to be a certificate issued under section 7(1) or any insignia, arm band or other token issued under section 7(3) or any insignia, arm band or token so nearly resembling any such insignia, arm band or other token as to be likely to deceive,
commits an offence.

### Census and Statistics Ordinance 《普查及統計條例》

19. Offences by census officers
Any census officer and any person engaged in the preparation of any schedule, return, abstract, report or other document in connexion with any statistical inquiry who—
(a) without reasonable cause, refuses or neglects to comply with any lawful instruction issued to him by the Commissioner;
(b) in the pretended performance of his duties under this Ordinance, obtains or seeks to obtain any information which he is not authorized to obtain; or
(c) knowingly makes any false return or alters any particular contained in any such schedule, return, abstract, report or other document with intent to falsify the same,
commits an offence.

20. Custody of documents
Any person having the custody, whether on his own behalf or on behalf of any other person, of—
(a) any schedule completed or return made under this Ordinance; or
(b) any abstract, report or other document containing particulars (other than particulars to which section 22(2) applies) obtained in the course of any statistical inquiry which enable identification of any individual or undertaking,
who fails to keep such schedule, return, abstract, report or other document at all times in a manner reasonably calculated to prevent any unauthorized person having access thereto commits an offence.

21. Offence to publish information knowingly received in contravention of Ordinance
Any person who publishes or communicates any information which to his knowledge has been disclosed in contravention of this Ordinance to any other person commits an offence.

### Census and Statistics Ordinance 《普查及統計條例》

22. Restriction on publication and disclosure
(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), any person who publishes or shows to any person otherwise than in the performance of any function under this Ordinance—
(a) any schedule or other document or part thereof completed or any return or part thereof made for any of the purposes of this Ordinance;
(b) any answer given to any question put for any of the purposes of this Ordinance; or
(c) any particulars obtained in the course of any statistical inquiry which enable identification of an individual or undertaking,
commits an offence.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), it shall not be an offence to publish or show to any person any particulars referred to in subsection (1)(c) which—
(a) enable identification of an undertaking by reason only of the fact that they relate to that undertaking as being within a particular classification but do not enable identification of the capital employed or profits arising in such undertaking;
(b) disclose in any directory of undertakings or otherwise any or any combination of the following particulars, namely, the name, the address, the type of business or the number of employees of any undertaking.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be taken to prohibit—
(a) the publication by the Commissioner of any statistical information in the form of abstracts, printed publications, press releases or otherwise as he may deem fit:
Provided that in compiling any report, summary or communication to the public of information obtained under this Ordinance, the Commissioner shall so arrange it as to prevent any particulars published therein (other than particulars to which subsection (2) applies) from being identified as particulars relating to any particular individual or undertaking except with the previous consent in writing of the individual or, as the case may be, of the person carrying on the undertaking;
(b) the production of such evidence as may be necessary for the purpose of any proceedings instituted for an offence against this Ordinance.
(4) The Commissioner shall not be required to disclose any information obtained in the course of or as a result of any statistical inquiry to or for inspection by or for the use of any other authority for the purpose of or in connexion with the investigation of crime or the assessment or levying of any tax.

23. Penalties
(1) Any person who commits an offence under section 13, 14, 15 or 19(a) is liable to a fine at level 1.
(2) Any person who commits an offence under section 16, 17, 18, 19(b) or (c), 20, 21 or 22 is liable to a fine at level 2 and to imprisonment for 6 months.
(Amended E.R. 3 of 2022)