Release Census Early Campaign - Please read & reply !

[smeghead]

Janet if this is the case it means we should be able to view Census of 1911 and 1921 now and there should be somewhere we can view but I don't believe we will be able to view for many years yet

                                          Jim

[Janet B]

I visited the website mentioned in my previous message and sent an email to Denis - suggest others do the same!
I am now waiting to hear what he has to say. Will keep you posted.
cheers
Janet

[Little Nell]

According to an item in Family Tree Magazine (Nov 2005 edition), people who have been attempting to access to the details of the 1911 census for their direct ancestors have had a disappointing time.  Their applications have been rejected.  One person passed on the letter he had received from TNA which states the following:

the FOI Act 2000 gives applicants two rights of access: the right to know whether TNA holds the information being sought, and the right to have the information given to them.  These rights may only be overridden if the information people are looking for is covered by an exemption in the Act.  Since the provisions of the FOI Act came into operation in January 2005, the Section 41 exemption, relating to breach of confidence, has been applied to all the applications received by TNA. 

Many other applicant received the same letter. 

TNA responded to FTM's enquiry about this with a press release saying:

in March 2004 the minister for Consitutional Affairs explained to the House of Commons that, in the government's view, a closure period of 100 years strikes the right balance between the access interests of family historians and the right of citizens to have information about themselves in their census returns kept confidential.  In July 205 the minister restated the view that 'it remains government policy to make census returns publicly available after a period of 100 years.'  Therefore, the 1911 census is due for release in 2012.

The item also reiterates the point previously made: the enumerators books for this census were destroyed, but the householders schedules survive.  This is going to make searching the 1911 census very much more difficult.

Please don't shoot me - I'm only the messenger 

Nell

[Andi R]

The thing that I find strange about the 100 years rule is you can get information on the Official Secrets act after 30 years.  Yet census information is deemed more secret, and to be honest - what does census information contain anyway, thats so secret ??  The following are publc domain

your name?  No; 
your address that night?  No;
Your postcode maybe ??  hmm, naw
place of birth ??  Is it that really secret; 
your occupation ?  Don't think so;
do you have your own front door (flats) ? no;
Do you own you home or are you a tenant? oh really secret;
your relationship with others?? come on really;
I know what it is = its your age, what else can it be??
oh sorry its marital status

All other info has been used in stastitics within two or three years -

Andrew

[jeanoj]

I find the whole thing so frustrating!!  I cannot see why the census cannot be released now - how many people over 96 years of age are still living and therefore likely to be on the census?  What is so secret about your name, age and occupation in any case?  OK, so there might be a few skeletons coming to light but to those of us researching our family history, this only serves to make it more exciting.  I am well into my 60s so don't have too much time left!  I hope I shall survive to see the release of the 1911 census but doubt if I shall be here for the 1921!

[Jan Ann]

Hi There

I still cant believe that so many people have viewed this  post but seem reluctant to vote or post an opinion - are there really so many shy people on this site??

Cheers
Jan

[Llwyd]

Hi Jan,

I don't think Rootscahtters are that shy.However, I think they must have a relatively low pain threshold tolerance---from banging their heads against a governmental brickwall.

I'm all for early release of the information,after all what necessity is there to protect the information contained in a census for so long?.

Still,I suppose a promise is a promise......and the promise to keep census information secret for a hundred years must be the only promise our present government has kept.

By the way,do I detect a little irony in the posting of AndrewR?.

[Andi R]

Irony ?  Me never   

[Guy Etchells]

Hi Jan,



Still,I suppose a promise is a promise......and the promise to keep census information secret for a hundred years must be the only promise our present government has kept.

Except the promise to keep the census closed for 100 years only appeared on the 1981, 1991 & 2001 census. There was no promise of confidentiality for 100 years in any census prior to 1981 so I am afraid that argument is a load of hogwash.
Cheers
Guy