2011 Census

According to the Telegraph, the 2011 census will include even more intrusive questions than the one we did in 2001:

Everyone could be required, for the first time, to give earnings details in the next census, it was disclosed yesterday.Information about where the money comes from, second home ownership, national identity and preferred language may also be included.

A range of additional questions is being considered for the 2011 census, which is expected to cost at least £300 million – £100 million more than last time – and will be the biggest yet.

The 2001 exercise contained 40 questions over three pages and took half an hour to complete. It ran into controversy for being too intrusive by asking a question about religion for the first time and because a million people failed to return their forms by post.

These meddlesome bastards don’t get the message. A million people didn’t fill in the forms because they didn’t want the government prying into their private lives. Peoples’ religious belief is none of the government’s damn business and I – along with many others – didn’t answer the question for that reason.

An attempt to introduce an income question in 2001 was blocked by Parliament as too personal and likely to discourage people from filling it in.

Too bloody right it’s too personal and, too bloody right it will put people off answering; me, for one. My income is my concern. The Inland revenue has access via my tax return as there is a relationship* that requires this knowledge. Otherwise, like my religious beliefs, it is no one else’s business and I intend to keep it that way.

A question indicating national identity is being sought mainly by the Welsh.

Yeah, well, I’m afraid the Welsh will have to go whistle. :whistle:

Some old questions are to be dropped, including how many outside lavatories a household has.

Well, that’s a relief.

If the office of national statistics is going to persist in probing ever further into my private life, I’ll be joining the million refusniks.

_{* as in: a traveller has a relationship with the highwayman.}