Forum Topic

Is this a waste of money ???

Coming to every household on March 27 - a National Census, some 32 pages long, there will be no fewer than 918 boxes for you to tick in answer to questions! It will ask not only your age and job title, but also what type of central heating you use, when you last worked and who has been staying in your house.It will demand you tell the authorities whether you travel to work by motorcycle, scooter, moped or some other mode of transport. It will ask you deeply personal questions about your sexual orientation and emotional preferences. It will ask you when you last worked.It will ask about your ethincity: if you are white, you will be able to tick a box saying you are Engliish/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish, British or, alternatively, one of three separate boxes for Irish, Gypsy or Irish traveller and any other type of white background. The tick box system for black, Asicn ans mixed race groups is equally ridiculous. And then there are such vacuous questions as: how is your general health?The Cabinet minister responsible for the census is Francis Maude, and he has behaved with complete feebleness about the whole matter. He more or less admits that the census is quite unnecessary in the computer age. He says that too much money has been spent on this BEFORE the Government came into office and to cancel would run up excessive expenditure! So we are having a census that the Government tacitly admits is a waste of money and time!Failure to complete this form will result in a £1,000 fine!How can we spend £500m on this useless and intrusive census? It is astonishing that we are spending £500m money on this sort of thing. Already all our information is on one computer or another, and that is a worry enough in itself. So many incidents of personal data which has been left on public transport. Now in today's paper it seems that there is census security fears over US firm whose staff stole Obama's student records! They will be responsible for all the information collected!Should we be concerned?

Jean F Fernandez ● 5519d15 Comments

RobinEasy to see how some will make racist remarks about this issue.But factually this is a real problem which affects everybody. There is a language barrier and illegal immigrants hide within their own communities.If you have contact with the elders in Southall I hope you are putting the case for them to persuade people that the census must be completed because it will be more money to benefit their community.Like that stupid garage park which could have come later instead of spending it on the vulnerable.

George Knox ● 5507d

Sorry - genuine spelling mistake there. Should have read Tony Price.

Robin Taylor ● 5507d

Trust Tony Prick to bring immigration into it.

Robin Taylor ● 5507d

Ealing reported to government in 2010 that some 15% of ealing residents were thought not to have completed the census in 2001 and less are expected by ealing to do so this year.language and rights to residence were thought by ealing to be part of the problem. So what ealing requested is a different way of getting central government funding awarded instead of relying on returns.According to one of our Liberal councillors one person equals a grant increase of £2K

George Knox ● 5508d

Re I am flabbergasted to say the least.      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      that your flabber was gasted makes one wonder how many this time will not complete the Form. Last time apparently 3 million did not, presumably as they did not want it be known they are in the country so with New Labour's campaign for mass immigration since then, expect a figure in the region of 5 million perhaps, which would rather tend to make the results inconclusive?

Tony Price ● 5508d

Yes Jean, Every word you used has the ring of truth in it.I got My CENSUS Form today. The Invasive nature of this questionaire seems to want my "Auto-Biography". I notice thatThe Form lists 56 Locations for Help with Foreign Language users. I am flabbergasted to say the least.

Os. A. Whittle ● 5511d

Nigel , You make a fair Point. However we pay a tax for using the Roads with a vehicle. We pay Insurance to ensure any kind of Accidents caused can be covered.If untaxed and un-insured vehicles are using the roads there are laws and penalties set up to dis-courage the practise. So many businessess are using the pavement in front of their shops and claim immunity from the council upto a metre or more if it is their Freehold .They charge a weekly rent from sub-tennants and in a few cases even KEY-Money from the Tennant. Why is our Freehold premise not looked upon as "An English Man's Castle"

Os. A. Whittle ● 5514d

My mistake and, of course, my apologies.

Nigel Brooks ● 5515d

Os. A. Whittle said "inside your residential p[r]emises", which would mean they are not on the public highway.The company with the contract to process all of the data acquired from these intrusive yet mandatory questionnaires is Lockheed Martin. Their speciality is blowing people up, and they've paid millions of dollars to their biggest customer, the US government, for their various and repeated illegal activities. https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=lockheed+martin+fined&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Lockheed_martinWe have been given guarantees that the data will not be passed out of the UK. That's unlikely to be the case, even in the unlikely event that the guarantee isn't a deliberate lie.

M. Duley ● 5515d

I know this gets off topic a little but why shouldn't any car on the public highway be taxed and insured? Personally I am cheesed-off with the number of untaxed and uninsured vehicles on our roads and I'm pleased the police have the power to seize them. Holidays abroad are no excuse, you can renew on-line and not having insurance for a vehicle on the road is a criminal offence - end of!!Incidentally a SORN will not save you from a fine if you park on the public highway.

Nigel Brooks ● 5515d

I totally object to this kind of intrusion into my personal life and perhaps if everyone refused to fill it in the message might get across. The last one somehow got "lost in the post"

Carol Atkinson ● 5515d

Jean ,You are quite right in pointing out the Invasive nature of the coming National Census. The conclusions drawn from such a census will be quite inaccurate .There are many reasons why this will be. Government invasiveness comes in more than one form. Particularly if it is collected by Out-Souce agencies.Did you know that from April your Car parked inside your residential pemises will still need to  be Taxed and Insured.Only a completed SORN duly registered will save you from a massive fine £100. What if one is on Holiday abroad ? No excuse .Governmental follies will aply.

Os. A. Whittle ● 5517d

As much as the rest of us, I daresay. Who's going to lie about what sort of heating they have?

Susan Kelly ● 5518d

Just wondering Susan - do you think the MP's will answer all the questions on the census truthfully?

Jean F Fernandez ● 5518d

I agree with you, Jean, and so does the government, which is why this is likely to be the last census.The point about most of the money having been already spent is a reasonable one, I think.I thought I read that we will not be asked about sexual orientation. In any case, as with religion, such questions are usually optional.Jedi, anyone?

Susan Kelly ● 5518d