Release Census Early Campaign - Please read & reply !

[RJ_Paton]

It may also be the case that as statistics now being supplied by the Home Office based on the 2001 census are considered "old" that a case could be made for a new time rule ..... although perhaps the decision should be left to those involved and who supplied the information not to those of us who are biased and who want the information.

[Nessie]

As others I too would love the be able to find information about relatives after 1901. But on reflection I realise that in this day and age, people are living longer and a 70 year rule would be releasing personal details about those still living.Before anyone tells me, I know that there may have been one or two people over 100 years old when the 1901 census was realised.
I value my privacy and hope I would support protecting other people from having their privacy invaded.

[Little Nell]

And in case it passed you all by in 2001, there was NO BOX for your birthplace! 

Re 1911:

Susan Lumas states in her book "Making Use of the Census"

The returns that year were not entered into enumerators books, so a search of the original schedules which are retained in place of the books would present considerable difficulties.

I also found this in a trawl of the internet:

England and Welsh Census Information for 1911.
The 1911 Census records for England and Wales are subject to the Public Records Act 1958 (Instrument No 12 dated 1966), which specifies a closure period of 100 years.  The records will be opened to the public in 2012.

It was possible, following concessions announced in 1972 and 1989, for limited information to be released from the 1901 census to direct descendants and next of kin for family history purposes before the records were opened to public search. However, the concessions specifically referred to censuses prior to and including the 1901 Census and therefore did not apply to the 1911 Census.  There are no plans for a similar concession relating to the 1911 Census.

A concession announced in 1993 relating to the 1911 Census is conditional upon the applicant requiring the information solely in order to establish a legal entitlement and would only be considered where the information could not be obtained from any other source.

Ian White
Census Legislation
The office For National Statistics

Nell

[RJ_Paton]

I value my privacy and hope I would support protecting other people from having their privacy invaded.

very eloquently put and my sentiments exactly.

[Jan Ann]

hI

As I have stated before - your privacy is already invaded - if you live in the UK there are many sites both pay per view and free, that will list your name, address, postcode and telephone number. if this information is available, why cant we see similar information from 90 years ago?

Jan

[Nessie]

You can protect your privacy from these sites by 1.  Going ex-directory for your telephone.

2.  Putting a cross in the box provided by the
      Council when registering for the Electoral
      Roll will stop your name and address being
      sold to the sites you mentioned.

I find that the sites are using out of date information for addresses and telephone numbers in many cases.

   

[Jan Ann]

Hi Nessie

Fair comment but it isnt always necessarily so that the information wont get out somewhere along the line!  An elderley friend of mine had been ex-directory for over 25 years and was horrified to find out from her grandson that a free cd put out by a computer magazine contained all details of UK residents - including her phone number!- technology has advanced so much these days - there are all types of looney hackers out there that get personal information from large companies and sell them on to marketing firms, privacy is never guaranteed!

Cheers
Jan

[Nessie]

I accept these things do happen Jan, I can only try my best to protect myself and my family. It is a fine line between data protection and the freedom of information.

[Guy Etchells]

If your argument was taken to its ultimate conclusion there would be no census releases until the 1981 census was released in 2082 as all census until 1981 put no date to the end of the confidentiality period.
Cheers
Guy

A circular argument but incorrect .... what I said was that if the limit (note I didn't mention 100 yrs) was breached what was to stop the next limit etc etc.
You may find that the legislation which affected the 1981 census and introduced the 100 yr rule was also applied retrospectively to the dates that such information was collected. Not to the date (which was inferred as 2082)of the legislation affecting that particular census. It may also be the case that the legislation introduced a shorter time span than originally envisaged as it may never have been the intention to release the information as governments tend to do.

As I also said I would welcome some of the information but the proponents of this argument have failed to convince me of the validity of their case and I'm more or less on their side ..... what chance have they against a civil service that seems to operate in millennia ?

You seem to have totally missed the point of the argument.
All early census prior to 1981 stated in various forms of wording that the census returns would be treated as confidential.
There was no time limit to this confidentiality therefore according to you case they should remain closed forever.
The 1981 census put a limit on the period of convertibility 100 years thereby allowing the 1981 census to be opened to public inspection in 2082.
In both of the above cases there has been no reduction of the time limit.

The reduction has however been made and changed by various parliaments throughout the intervening years. These time limits are purely arbitrary and in no way relate to any promise made to the population at the time the various census were taken. Therefore the time limit of 100 years may be changed at will with no promises broken for all census prior to 1981.
Cheers
Guy