100 year closure - why?

[fossey]

Does anyone know or understand why the census is 100 year closure.

It really irritates me to think I have to wait another 6 years to get the 1911 census, when Ireland is going to be sooner.

Why, when you can order certificates for anyone and find living people in election rolls, that you cant see who was in the census that long ago.

I can't be the only one who thinks this, and who would be able to change the rules it they could.  It would be great news.

Angela

[suttontrust]

This topic has been gone over many times.  The government's argument has been that people were promised at the time that there would be a hundred-year embargo on disclosing personal details.  Whether we buy that or not, there is going to be no publication of it yet.  We can only hope that they take the time to get it right.

[Valda]

I'm not sure they were promised a 100 year ruling I think they were promised (if they were promised anything) confidentiality. If so to release the records at all could be considered breaking the 'promise' of confidentiality, which is why I believe the Australian censuses were actually destroyed. Since I would rather see a census after a 100 years than earlier when some people still living might chose to contest its release, or people in the future might consider contesting further releases on the same grounds, I would prefer patience to the possibility of no census at all. I think the view is you cannot expect people to fill in future censuses if they think the release of the information will get earlier and earlier, as in the United States where the 1930 census has been available for some years.

Regards

Valda

[suttontrust]

I agree, Valda.  At the time when the agitation started for the 1911 to be made public the government was having trouble persuading people to co-operate with the 2001 census.  We all doubted the confidentiality of that, so it wouldn't have helped to agree to publish the 1911, when some of those on it were still alive.

[annaandchester]

I cant help thinking that the information that census's give is so limited that why should we have to wait 100 years - the census now looks nothing like the 1901 one.
And just because it is a 100 year rule it dosent mean that everyone on it is dead - to do that we would need a 120 year rule!

[Kimi]

As a matter of interest, I have seen some recent discussions on other boards which suggest that the 1911 census can be accessed under the Freedom of Information Act.  Apparently, you have to write and ask permission first though.

Kimi

[Shaztoni]

Ireland have the 1911 already and we have done for the last few years too, unfortunately it is not computerised yet (the government tell us that will take three years so we will see it on line in 2012, yes my math is right).

Sharon

[Little Nell]

I have seen some recent discussions on other boards which suggest that the 1911 census can be accessed under the Freedom of Information Act.

Afraid not - the powers that be claim an exemption to that act.

Nell

[Guy Etchells]

The 100 year closure was only mentioned on the 1981, 1991 and 2001 census forms, prior to that there was only the assurance of confidentiality.

Prior to release of the 1901 census in 2002 it was possible to gain access to the unreleased 1901 census for a specific address.
see http://web.archive.org/web/19990127164236/www.pro.gov.uk/leaflets/ri014.htm
or http://www.rootschat.com/links/02o/ 
Then we got the Freedom of Information Act and it was no longer possible to find out information from the unreleased census.

Governments do not like freedom of information so they pass an Act to allow freedom of information and make sure civil servants find exemptions to any information being made available.
Cheers
Guy