ESSEX-UK-L Archives

Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 2010-07 > 1278847981


From: "Caroline Bradford" <>
Subject: Re: [Ess] The final Census?
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:33:01 +0100
References: <4C39A466.40805@yahoo.co.uk>
In-Reply-To: <4C39A466.40805@yahoo.co.uk>


As a family historian, the idea that Government should create a single,
comprehensive database of named individuals, full of useful genealogical
facts, every ten years, is enormously attractive, but as a tax-payer I would
prefer my elected representatives to spend my hard earned cash on the best
method possible of providing the statistical information which they require
to do their job properly. There is very sound evidence that the full-blown
census is a hugely inefficient and costly way of providing this statistical
data (for an entertaining way of understanding the arguments, there is no
better resource than the episode of The West Wing entitled "Mr Willis of
Ohio").

Genealogical data is a by-product of the main purpose of the census, and
always has been. Compliance has been plummeting over the decades, not
least, I am sure, due to anxieties about privacy. The family history
community, with its constant clamour for early release of information which
had been provided in the strictest confidence, may even be partially to
blame for the reluctance of individuals to provide such information.

Caroline

>
> An article in Friday's Telegraph has been drawn to my attention, where
> Francis Maude, Cabinet Office minister, says that the government has
> already decided to scrap future censuses.
>
> Linked to here http://tinyurl.com/32982aq
>

This thread: