2011 Census

[Euler]

Hands up who is going to put down their religion as 'Jedi'

[Dobbin]

LOL Peter

I think if we are paying a Private Company £500 Million to do it we should all put down whatever we like

Dobbin

[CaerMyrddin]

I can't, long time ago I was taken by the dark side.

But now I can spread dark liquidity all over the place

[JollyGreen]

A whole family of Jedi in my house we are!

Change to Ninja thought did I!!

[Iron]

I agree.

It's a complete waste of money!

At a time when police officers are being laid off, it's offensive to waste half a billion pounds on something which will deliver little or no benefit to the taxpayer.

Jeff

LOL Peter

I think if we are paying a Private Company £500 Million to do it we should all put down whatever we like

Dobbin

[Galilee66]

Jeff,

If the census is conducted and then analysed correctly it will be critical to future planning and will be of immense benefit to the whole nation.

By coincidence we are having a census in Australia as well this year.

cheers
Galilee66

[Iron]

I don't doubt that there are benefits of having good demographic information. I just think that there are far more cost-effective ways of obtaining that information. You can employ a lot of nurses for half a billion pounds...

Jeff

Jeff,

If the census is conducted and then analysed correctly it will be critical to future planning and will be of immense benefit to the whole nation.

By coincidence we are having a census in Australia as well this year.

cheers
Galilee66

[Iron]

Having just filled in the form, my suspicions are confirmed.

How knowing my race, religion or if I'm going to have anyone staying over on the 27th of March (I'm not making that up!) is going to seriously help the country is beyond me...

And I doubt many illegal immigrants will put down their place of birth as being outside the UK!

Jeff

I don't doubt that there are benefits of having good demographic information. I just think that there are far more cost-effective ways of obtaining that information. You can employ a lot of nurses for half a billion pounds...

Jeff

[Nero Tulip]

I thought you were supposed to fill it in on the 27th itself and not before ?

I believe this might have the potential to help the country, but as we know, keeping records is one thing, coming up with strategies using the data is another.. and I have little faith the data will be used sensibly.

Saying that, I do think it's nice to have the records at least. Though in the current climate, 'nice' is not priority.

[CaerMyrddin]

Even though a country might not come up to decent stratagies using the data it's really important for other players in the economy to have this kind of data available.

For instance Jeff, I can tell you a simple use to know where you are at a given date. If the numbers for people's mobility is very high, a supermarket chain might be interested in reinforcing their ready to eat meals

[Iron]

Possibly, but I've done it now, and fun as it was to fill it in the first time, I ain't filling it in again!

Jeff

I thought you were supposed to fill it in on the 27th itself and not before ?

[freddy]

Done mine just now,
what a rebel i am

[Photon]

Census first started when the King was more interested in knowing how man people in his kingdom he could tax and at times when one left their village only once every two years. Nowdays things change so quickly that the data become out of date as soon as they are logged on government systems which all know is paid enoromous amount for but deliver little.

The best and the most effective way of obtaining useful information from everybody is to nationalise Facebook and Google who collect enourmous amount of instantenous and constant data on everything and everybody, even people realising that they are sharing private & confidential information.