Genealogy Chat

I quote ' 2011 Census topics Between May and August 2005 ONS ran a public consultation on the content of the 2011 Census questionnaire for England and Wales. Overall, a higher than anticipated response was received with approximately 2,000 submissions from nearly 500 organisations or individuals across central and local government, academia, business, special interest groups and the general public. The consultation exercise supported the need for almost all information collected in the 2001 Census. However, strong cases were also made for some new questions, especially language, sexual orientation, income and second residences. The responses have been evaluated using the criteria outlined in the original consultation document to provide an assessment of user requirement. Topics have also been provisionally evaluated in terms of other factors that will influence the final content of the questionnaire, such as data quality, public acceptability and respondent burden. This has resulted in the allocation of each topic to one of three categories: Topics likely to be collected in the 2011 Census; Topics where further research and assessment is required before a decision is made on whether to collect information on them in the 2011 Census; or Topics which will not be included in the 2011 Census. There are substantially more topics in the second category than there will be space for on the 2011 Census questionnaire, and so there are some difficult trade-offs ahead. These decisions will be informed by the programme of question development and testing that is underway. The emerging results of this testing will determine the choice of questions included in the 2007 Census Test. The Test questionnaires will be finalised in September 2006. The consultation process is ongoing and we aim to finalise the 2011 Census questionnaire by September 2008, for use in the 2009 Census rehearsal. The final questionnaire for 2011 will then be decided by parliament. A full report on the response to the consultation, including an updated ONS view on the likely content of the 2011 Census questionnaire, was published on 8 March 2006 and is available on the National Statistics website. This page last revised: 08 March 2006' www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/cn_149.asp

If you google, it appears there was a roadshow about this census to get people's views. Didn't mention anything about finances, but there are proposed questions about 2nd homes and languages.

Well, its a fine balance isn't it? What we regard as intrusive and a breach of our privacy is JUST the information our descendants will want to know about us when they are tracing the family tree. I quite liked finding salaries for some of my ancestors and knowing how much rent they paid, etc. On the other hand I'd be very very wary about giving my NI number to anybody. nell

They're going to do a trial of a few thousand in 2007 to see whether people respond to the question, we'll see......

I think we should all tell porkies about our financial details etc...I'm sure our ancestors would have done! They certainly told enough porkies to give us headaches when trying to find then at an earlier or later date. Perhaps if we tell enough porkies then the government might get the message!

I think it's all very worrying and I also think it's about time we started standing up for our rights. Why on earth do they need to know how much people earn, unless it's to catch people out? No good assuring everyone they don't share information, yeah right and pigs fly too!! So, who's gonna start the revolution?

Think i'll just put 'not enough'. Glen

Ann Can't believe the chap answered all the questions - did he? Scary, isn't it? A

This is all starting to worry me as I am 38 and have never filled in a census in my life, never even seen one or had a letter about one!

Wasn't it the 2001 census where a group campaigned to get loads of people to list their religion as Jedi? There was a rumour that if enough people listed it they would have to recognise Jedi as an official religion.

I think that so many people didn't complete their census forms in 2001 that it would have been impossible to prosecute/fine them all. I think that, as a lot of the questions are far too intrusive, people will lie & make the whole process a mockery & total waste of time. A

Sorry but they can go and sling their hook - I regard this as my personal information - they will be asking you for your bank details next Grrrrrrrrrrrr Lin

Government departments don't talk to each other, so census returns couldn't be checked against records in other departments eg inland revenue.. In any case it would be a mamouth task to check the replies, and IR take ages to sort out the present problems. I can't see the government employing loads more people just to check the census returns against other records. So I reckon census' could only be used as at present to note trends. Anne

I may be misquoting but was it not W S Gilbert that wrote for one of his characters --- 'I know everybody's income and whar everybody earns, And I carefully compare them with the Income Tax returns' JIm

Are you sure that it wasn't going to be asking for inside leg measurement aswell? I find it just a bit unsettling that so much information is now required, considering how comparatively little was taken from our ancestors in the 1800's. We might be citizens of this country but we should be able to retain our privacy. If the census is taken for statistical purposes then what right do they have asking for our private financial details. Perhaps George Orwell did have a very real vision of the future when he wrote his book 1984.

I read about that in the paper today too. Do you really think people of to-day will be truthful though? I know there is a risk of £1,000 fine if you don't complete the financial section, so it makes me wonder just how much information people will want to disclose. Is this just another way of 'big brother' watching you? Perhaps the government will use this info to try and catch out fraudsters! You know the sort I mean. Make all sorts of benefit claims but have a stash of money and assets elsewhere. Mmmmmmmmmmmm makes you think doesn't it?

Just seen on Ceefax that they're thinking of asking questions about salaries and properties owned, wouldn't it be great if they had done that all along?