-----Original Message----- From: Alan McGowan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 26 March 2002 20:50 To: [email protected] Subject: [ENG-HANTS] 1901 Census An interesting item posted on the Society of Genealogists List: > When I pointed out to my MP that some of the 1901 census transcription had been done by people on the Indian sub-continent, who did not have English as a mother tongue and who had no experience of English place names, occupations and personal names, he was frankly incredulous. I suggested he put a parliamentary question on this. Here it is with the reply... DL: "To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how much of the work to transcribe the 1901 census returns on to computer was carried on outside the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement." Ms. Rosie Winterton (PS, Lord Chancellor's Dept):" QinetiQ Ltd appointed Enterprise and Supply Services (ESS) to undertake the transcription of the data from the 1901 Census returns. A proportion of this work was sub-contracted by ESS after full competitive tendering to a commercial data input company based in India and Sri Lanka (Hays Document Management). The proportion of transcription work undertaken outside the United Kingdom was 78%" Yes folks that really is seventy eight percent! Please feel free to post this message elsewhere if you want. -- Barney Tyrwhitt-Drake ______________________________