Petition to PM for census to be released after 70 years.

Post by **AnneM** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:38 pm

Hi

I think in the case of adoption there is the possibilty of competing rights, the right of the parent to keep her identity secret and the right of the child to know who his or her parent was. In the case of the census as far as I can see there is no-one who could arguably be said to have a right to the information, an interest in it certainly, but no right.

I think one of the issues is that the people directly affected would be older people. For some of them circumstances that we see as possibly misfortunes or irrelevances such as poverty, unemployment or illegitimacy can be matters of shame and many believe intensely in family privacy. I don't think in these circumstances we have the right to waive their privacy.

Anne

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:31 am

emanday wrote:
sporran wrote: It is the breaking of a promise that is the issue.
Precisely!

There must be multiple threads around of this issue as I thought I posted on it previously.

How anyone can discuss "promises" and government (and/or politician) data issues in the same sentence amazes me.

If the information remains unavailable it will be because the politicians do not want it made available - not because of any promise.

John Howard promised Australians there would never be a goods and services tax in our country - but then we discovered that was not a "core" promise. I wonder if not releasing census data was a "core" promise.

Trish

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:10 am

As far as the closed censuses are concerned it's not a matter of a promise by anyone, but the provisions of the various Acts of Parliament that set down the law as it is to be applied to the taking of censuses and the confidentiality issue.

Sooo....... any (UK based) volunteers for writing to their MPs asking them to sponsor a Bill to overturn the provisions of the previous legislation on a retrospective basis?

David

Jagilkat · Post by **Jagilkat** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:39 am

I sent an email to my MP regarding this issue over a year again. I cannot remember from which family history group, site it came from. I received a reply from my MP stating that she was in support of the early release of the 1911 census.
Not being totally thick I am aware of why census's are collected, however they cant really help in forward planning as the government has no control over the level of immigrants legal or otherwise entering the country to enjoy the soft life that is open to them and not the native folk.
I have now unsubscribed. Have a good life.

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:26 am

Hi Jagilkat

Having reread the complete thread I don't see that anyone has even suggested that you are "totally thick". Had anyone done so they they could have been subject to sanction by the AdminGroup of TalkingScot for inappropriate language and behaviour. The basic guideline on this DG has always been that "This site is moderated by common sense and good Scots manners". (See also below my signature).

As with many such discussion threads on TalkingScot, it necessary to realise that many folk reading the thread can benefit from an explanation of aspects that they may not be familiar with, hence some at least of the information in this thread. I can only apologise if you consider this calling you "totally thick". That was never the intention of anyone.

As to the issue of immigrants legal or otherwise entering the UK, I can't quite see that that relates to the discussion of the 1911 and 1921 censuses

(My knowledge of the relevant legislation is probably lacking, but I was under the impression, much to the dislike of those of Scots descent in Australia and New Zealand, for example, that their ability to enter the UK is very strictly controlled

)

I have now unsubscribed.

I'm sad to hear that.

Have a good life

I'm sure that the 1900+ registered members of TalkingScot will do just that, - post holiday season signups are always higher than average, and there's been 70 new registered new members already this month, - so it looks like member 2,000 will join TS sometime during March, less than 30 months since TalkingScot hit the www [talkingscot]

David

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Davie · Post by **Davie** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:35 pm

I have now unsubscribed. Have a good life

Well, talk aboot takin’ the cream puff wey us!
Wunner whit part o’ the planet Zog he came frae?
Have a good life? Have a good Life?
I object tae punters telling me whit kin a day tae huve, never mind whit kin o life.
Much as ah’m no keem on aw they new members o’ the EC cumin ower here.
Ah don’t know oany that ur huvin a “soft life”.

The news just in is of 45 Bulgarians being refused entry into this country at Glasgow airport .by three Polish born custom officers

Davie

Post by **emanday** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:45 pm

I have now unsubscribed. Have a good life.

The old saying "It's ma ba, an ah'm no playin" just popped into my head.

Wonder why

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:46 pm

Oh well...

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:03 pm

Thanks Davie, Mary, Nina.
You have made me feel better

Russell

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:32 pm

100 years before you can look at census data? Sounds OK to me.

What a lot of people don't realise with the UK census is this -
It's not just the one census. They do a more intensive follow up. A percentage of the people who take part are contacted and asked to take part in a much more detailed census. If you say 'No', then that is that. If you say 'Yes', then a census taker visits you at a later date, and the form goes in to dozens of pages, and incredible detail. Your name is withheld from the department that uses the information, but it would not be difficult to identify the person if you wished to try.

Of course, I said 'Yes'. I was curious. And the £10 fee they pay came in very handy at the time. It covered almost every aspect of my home and financial life. I was very honest, and I'm sure some of the things I said would raise an eyebrow and might even effect government future planning.
For an example of the detail, I was asked what I spent every week, what I bought, what benefits I claimed, did I get free school meals for the kids and a milk allowance. Anyone who had a tough time in that period will know the social implications of the answers.

All in total anonimity. No disclosure. Not even to other government departments. Not to anyone. That was the deal.

In a hundred years, I won't care. Till then, you'll just have to wait.

Dave Sloan

ps I bought 1 Milky Way bar a week. It's on page 12. That's all you are going to get.

TalkingScot.com

Petition to PM for census to be released after 70 years.

Re: disclosures on censuses

MP's