On accuracy: I see that the gov't will "insist on an accuracy of 99.5%". Looks good doesn't it - it's probably better than my own transcriptions - but although I am not a statistician (you will see that from my calculations), even I can see that 99.5% is probably 2 orders of magnitude too slack. Assuming that the figure means that any field can contain an inaccuracy with a probability of 0.5%, I reckon that this means not far short of one record in ten containing an error. I have assumed that all columns and other variable fields will be coded, and for Bcerts that is 10 columns and several other fields, for Mcerts, probably double, and Dcerts similar to Bcerts. I have assumed a round number of 20. Of course, where the original is handwritten, transcription errors happen. In the world of Genealogy we allow for truly ambiguous or indistinct writing with s[qua]re brackets or [??]question marks. I bet they won't be allowed to do that! On justification: It's interesting, too, that the striking down of the regulatory reforms seem to have done nothing to stop the juggernaut of implementation. On National Security: Doubtless the modern records in this database will be used to validate future identity card applications (whatever may be said to the contrary). No way should any processing be done outside of the UK. And I mean UK, not EU, not EEA. This is not an anti-foreigner thing of mine, it is just that throughout history, the important records of states and populations have been maintained by those states, in the interest of the state and the population, not by foreigners for money. If the records MIGHT be used to support National Security goals, it follows that NO-ONE outside the state should have the kind of (write) access envisaged by this contract. Also, the US government, thanks to routine intelligence activity, will receive all of the images the moment they are sent. Aside: I wonder for how long well-educated people in India, a large proportion with Univerity Degrees, will be content to be everyones pool of cheap labour for call-centres and data entry? It's a kind of latter-day colonisation, but by business, not State. Dave Beakhust -----Original Message----- From: Peter Christian [mailto:peter@spub.co.uk] Sent: 23 June 2005 10:02 To: SOG-UK-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Population database will move to India In today's Guardian http://politics.guardian.co.uk/egovernment/story/0,12767,1512480,00.html Probably best not to read this if you're easily outraged by government departments not learning their lesson. peter