The 2011 Census: is it necessary?

[MarieC]

It's a good question!!!

We'll have to be meticulous about handing down details to our descendants, if the censuses do get scrapped.  For my part, I'm very pleased that the England and Wales 19th century censuses are available.  I've learned things I never would have known otherwise!!!

MarieC

[Sisterjane]

Due to social circumstances these days I dont think a cencus would be of much use.
Due to benifit fraud and the massive amount of " father unknown " on birth certs to commit the fraud I dont think they will be worth having.
Couples who live in the same house will not say so on the cencus because if they are claiming benifits illegally by living together they wont admit it for fear of being found out(part of the argument i suppose for keeping it closed for 100years).
Plus with easy travel nowadays families dont stay together anymore.

Joe

[Berlin-Bob]

Some of these themes/thoughts/ideas cropped up earlier:

5th February, 2005
Topic: The Ideal Census
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,34899.0.html

The topic is worth reading in conjunction with this one ..
Update: topics now merged


I'd like to repeat something I said there:

In Germany there are some bits and pieces of older, local censuses here and there, but the newer, official census is

a) only for statistical purpose, i.e. no names, no pack drill !

b) irregular.  The last one I know of was in 1987. Although the government constantly emphasized that only statistical data was being collected, that all forms would be anonymous, etc, etc, many people protested, even threatening to burn the census forms !

After this census, the gov. decided to do a mini-census - 10% of the population - and extrapolate statistical findings. Since then Census has never been mentioned here !

The government continues to churn out statistics, without the help of any censuses, so I imagine it will go this too, in Britain, especially when some government department starts to compare the costs of searching the various already-available government databases with those of carrying out, and evaluating a new census.

Bob

[Sisterjane]

You could merge them Bob.

Joe

Ps Are you the boss today, with them all deserting us LOL

[Berlin-Bob]

You could merge them Bob.

thought of that, but they are not quite the same subject so I just put a link to the other one instead.

Ps Are you the boss today, with them all deserting us LOL

No more than usual 

and besides not everyone has deserted you, there's plenty happening on RootsChat today, and other mods. are also about ... so watch it 

[Berlin-Bob]

On second thoughts, Joe is right -

there is enough 'common ground' here to read them as one topic, so I've merged them.

[JillJ]

The last census here was taken before I became interested in Family History so I didn't 'inwardly digest' the questions asked and my answer may already be a standard question on the form...but it would be a big help if women gave their maiden names.

Jill