Data Restrictions

[Pandabean]

I have been wondering why is our data such as the census returns held for a 100 years before being disclosed?

I can understand the BDM's but not really the censuses. Why are they not every 50 years or even 70? It would certinaley be a lot more helpful to us researchers especially when looking at before and after the Great War for people who might have served.



Andy

[LesleyB]

Hi Andy

I have been wondering why is our data such as the census returns held for a 100 years before being disclosed?

I would think it is because people may still be alive. If the census was availble, say 50years after it was taken, this would mean that many older people would still be alive when the documents were made public and so potentially sensitve information about them would be freely available to the general public.

best wishes
Lesley

[DavidWW]

I have been wondering why is our data such as the census returns held for a 100 years before being disclosed?

I can understand the BDM's but not really the censuses. Why are they not every 50 years or even 70? It would certinaley be a lot more helpful to us researchers especially when looking at before and after the Great War for people who might have served.

Andy

The non-disclosure period for the early censuses in Scotland varied between 60 and 90 years.

It's only in comparatively recent times that the period of 100 years has been chosen and defined in the relevant legislation as the standard non-disclosure period, for both Scotland and England, thus effectively tying the hands of the Register General Scotland and his opposite number down south. The 100 years period was chosen on the basis, I am led to believe, that the eventual publication of the detailed enumerations, would be unlikely to include the details of more than a very tiny numbers of person still living when the details were put into the public domain.

The logic was and is that a promised non-disclosure period of 100 years is likely to encourage the completion of the census returns by as many folk as possible.

David

[LesleyB]

at
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/stories/131.htm

The release of the census returns after 100 years is determined by long-standing government policy. The 1911 census form included the following emphatic assurance to householders: 'The contents of the Schedule will be treated as confidential. Strict Care will be taken that no information is disclosed with regard to individual persons.' In 1966 the Lord Chancellor determined that ALL decennial census returns should be closed for a period of 100 years, on the grounds that they contained personal information supplied by citizens about themselves.

Since then successive governments have consistently maintained this position, and from 1981onwards there has been an explicit assurance on census forms that they will remain closed to the public for 100 years. This is the assurance that we all receive when we provide sensitive personal information in our completed census forms. The Government continues to believe that the 100-year closure period strikes the right balance between protecting confidential data about us as individual citizens and releasing the information, which is so valuable to researchers and historians alike.

Best wishes
Lesley

[Pandabean]

Thanks guys. I was just curious if there was any other reason other than people living.

Just another out of curiousty question. I havent seen a current day census and was wondering what information is contained in it and will it all be available and is the modern day censuses compulsory for everyone?

Regards,
Andy

[emanday]

Actually, Andy

I can't remember ever filling out a census form I'm sure we must have done. I've been a widow for nine years and know I haven't done one during that time. If my husband did one previous to that I don't remember it!

Is it compulsary

[AndrewP]

I remember the 2001 census form - it was a booklet, maybe 8 pages or so. By the time that goes online, I am sure that digitising processes will have evolved to something as yet unknown.

There were various protests from people that did not want to fill in their census form. Some saw it as an invasion oftheir privacy. Others were hiding from the taxman and other money collectors and did not want to give their whereabouts to some official source, even though they were told that it would not be used for such purposes.

One "prank" that was advertised was for the religion question. There was a selection of all the regular religions to tick, or a blank box marked "other". The challenge was for as many people as possible to fill this in as other, and state their religion as Jedi (from Star Wars). If more than a certain percentage put any one "other" religion, then that religion would have to be put in the selection of regular religions in the next census. We shall see in 2011.

All the best,

AndrewP

[emanday]

I remember the 2001 census form - it was a booklet, maybe 8 pages or so.

OK, so until September 2001 I was living in Bristol, the same house I'd lived in for 17 years. Then I moved to Balvicar on Seil Island in Scotland.

If I completed an eight page census I'm sure I'd remember it!





Nope! Am I in trouble?