Hi Listers ! This rather worrying item has appeared on the Essex List with a request that it be passed on to other Lists. There have been some responses - the thread can be seen on the Essex List Archive. Please spread the word ! Best Wishes ! Roger. ----------------------- Begin forwarded message: > From: Steve <steveshistory2@yahoo.co.uk> > Date: 11 July 2010 12:00:54 BDT > To: DUR-NBL@rootsweb.com, Essex post <Essex-UK@rootsweb.com>, > North East Ancestors <NE_Ancestors@ndfhs.org.uk>, > ENG-NORTH-YORKS <ENG-NORTH-YORKS@rootsweb.com> > Subject: [Ess] The final Census? > > An article in Friday's Telegraph has been drawn to my attention, where > Francis Maude, Cabinet Office minister, says that the government has > already decided to scrap future censuses. > > Linked to here http://tinyurl.com/32982aq > > I copy my response below, which I am going to send to my MP through > http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ and I would suggest that anybody > else who > finds this as worrying as I do, do the same. > > Regards > Steve > > > "Mr Maude, who has responsibility for the Census, told The Daily > Telegraph that the Government was looking for a “fundamentally” better > way of doing it. “There are, I believe, ways of doing this which will > provide better, quicker information, more frequently and cheaper,” he > said. " > > So having decided that the current method is too expensive, they have > decided to do away with the current method and find a fundamentally > better way. > > Isn't that the wrong way round? Shouldn't you prove that there is a > fundamentally better way, and how long it will take to set up, before > making the decision to go a different route. > > "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. " > > And we all know how accurate public and private databases are. And > that > everybody is included in them. Only once. > > "Mr Maude said the Census was “out of date almost before it has > been done" > > Durh! Well obviously! Any count of living beings is only correct at > the > time that it is done and unless you have enough counters then the > numbers will change during the counting. People are born, people die. > And a substantial minority of people will not be at any home on the > day > of the census. People are a problem. > > "Mr Maude said he hoped that the new way of counting the population > would be less intrusive. Questions for next year include the name, sex > and date of birth of any visitors staying overnight." > > As has every census since at least 1851. > > Pass this on to all mailing groups and forums you are members of > because > these idiots need to be stopped from penny pinching in a way that is > going to lead to greater future government waste when they have even > more inaccurate figures on which to base their planning, never mind > what > it will do to future Family Historians. >