National census to be axed after 200 years (General)
by admin 
, Forest of Dean, Saturday, July 10, 2010, 01:53 (5328 days ago)
The Census, the official population count carried out by the Government, is to be scrapped after more than 200 years, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.
Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, said the Census, which takes place every 10 years, was an expensive and inaccurate way of measuring the number of people in Britain.
Instead, the Government is examining different and cheaper ways to count the population more regularly, using existing public and private databases, including credit reference agencies...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/7882774/National-census-to-be-axed-...
National census to be axed after 200 years
by pclark 
, Saturday, July 10, 2010, 08:55 (5327 days ago) @ admin
Sources say is will cost £480 million to carry it out next year. Its a shame but there are more urgent things to spend that kind of money on.
Pete
National census to be axed after 200 years
by peteressex , Saturday, July 10, 2010, 09:40 (5327 days ago) @ pclark
It won't matter if similar information remains available from other sources that are no less accessible and no more expensive. We ought, however, to suspect that in the coming decade or two of economic restraint neither the quality nor the value of the information will be sustained, web or no web.
National census to be axed after 200 years
As a County Councillor and amateur historian, I have mixed views on it. As a Councillor the inaccuracy of the 2001 census (1.6 million families failed to complete the census), was a big problem as the Government subsidy to Councils is based on census figures of the population of their area + mid-year estimates based on other sources. Many Councils lost huge amounts from their grants because their population according to the 2001 census was lower than expected. For every 1,000 residents failing to appear in the census cost my Council £1m year on year. We lost a total of £85million since 2003.
As a historian I value the snapshot picture the census provides and collectively the statistical information gained from all past census has been invaluable. This is a cost cutting measure but there are more important things to spend half a billion £ on, I agree with that. But will the alternative measures be accurate, flexible and available to future historians, or is the Government simply wanting to save money and disguise trends in our population?
Ralph Cook
National census to be axed after 200 years
by jopalmer , Monday, August 02, 2010, 22:57 (5304 days ago) @ Ralph Cook
I am shocked to hear this news though not at all surprised. The government are of course Tory and therefore feel they can and will do exactly as they please.
National census to be axed after 200 years
by Strok , Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 08:34 (5304 days ago) @ jopalmer
It's got nothing to do with the political, for goodness sake. If it costs hundreds of millions to do and is already superceded by other forms of information then why not axe it? It wasn't meant for us in the first place.
National census to be axed after 200 years
by janfran , Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 10:55 (5303 days ago) @ jopalmer
Please don't bring politics into this great site.
It is sad for us family reseachers, but it is the cost to the country as a whole.
As to the last census, it does have mix ups!
We filled in our form at home, but then found we were in Wales on census day.
We were then told we had to go on that census as we were there overnight, so haven't a clue if we were counted twice!