In December 2013, the Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) responded to the consultation on alternatives to the census.
Background
The Beyond 2011 Programme was set up in April 2011 to investigate and assess alternative options for producing the population and socio-demographic data required by users in England and Wales. Beyond 2011 will provide recommendations to Parliament in 2014.
Research by the ‘Beyond 2011’ Programme produced two possible approaches to census-taking in the future:
- a census once a decade – similar to the 2011 census but primarily online; or
- a census using existing administrative data and compulsory annual surveys.
This public consultation on ‘The Census and future provision of population statistics in England and Wales’ was launched on 23 September 2013 and closed on 13 December 2013.
Other resources and responses
The Beyond 2011 Independent Working Group was established in June 2013 and issued a call to Save our Statistics. The Group published a report in November 2013 aimed to inform responses.
StatsUserNet has been set up by the Royal Statistical Society and the Statistics User Forum, with support from the UK Statistics Authority. It provides an online forum for users of official statistics to engage with each other and with producers of official statistics. A StatsUserNet online community has been created to support an Equality and Diversity Statistics User Group. Dev Virdee, User Engagement Programme Manager for Official Statistics will be pleased to provide further information.
Royal Statistical Society response and other material on the future of the census.
An earlier public consultation ran from October 2011 to January 2012. The Equality and Diversity Forum also responded to this consultation.
NCVO/Small Charities Coalition briefing and draft response.
