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Census 2011: Chaos behind the scenes

Census168 That every-doughty defender of personal privacy and freedom Mark Wallace has, not for the first time, turned in a first rate blog post about the chaos behind the scenes at the 2011 Census HQ.

In a series of observations leaked to Mark by an employee of the Office of National Statistics, he lifts the list on the "absolutely useless" training given to the army of 35,000 Census-enforcers and the "disastrous" management structure and computer systems underpinning the operation. 

Read his must-see post here.

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Big Brother Watch Posted in Census
  • quietlife

    This is so not surprising.
    We keep getting cards left to remind us to fill in the census. Do we feel able to entrust our personal data to the census organisers and users of the data – absolutely not.

  • Rebel

    I wonder how many smokers answered the “what is your Religion” question by entering “smoker”.
    I did.

  • Winston Smith

    I’m getting a visit every other day now. I expect it will soon be daily. I understand this phase ends on 6th May, perhaps there will be fewer visits after that date.

  • Richard Craven

    I don’t know whether anyone visited me last week, as I was away skiing. But if they did they were trespassing, as I have written to the ONS withdrawing their implied right of access. If I obtain evidence of Census people entering my property, I will prosecute the ONS for the civil tort of trespass.

  • Winston Smith

    They came back again two hours later! Clearly my details are critical to the nation’s wellbeing.

  • Richard Craven

    @winston
    Have you thought of withdrawing their implied right of access? It seems to me that they may actually be obeying this injunction in my case.

  • Me

    They came back, Winston, did you say?
    Can’t you draw the curtains and remain still for 15 mins so they’d go away?

  • Winston Smith

    @Richard Craven
    I could do that, Richard, but I’m not as brave as you. I’m trying to fly under the radar. I’m hoping I can avoid them until 6 May.
    @Me
    Yes, I never answer the door, but my concern is that they will catch me as I’m entering or leaving my home, or opening the door to a friend or delivery driver.
    It appears that after 6 May the only likely visits are from non compliance officers, who start work next Monday until mid August. There are only 100 of these for all of England, and they will be travelling in pairs, so the chances of a visit seem to be remote. Does anybody know if I’m right on this?

  • Richard Craven

    @Winston
    Very kind of you, but I don’t think I’ve been particularly brave. If you don’t give them your name and only refer to yourself as the occupier, there’s really not much they can do.
    Your maths looks pretty sound to me. I heard that, out of a total UK population of roughly 60 million, something like 7 million were still unaccounted for. Assuming firstly this has shrunk to 5 million by the time the compliance officers start their work, and secondly that they have 100 days to do their job, and thirdly that there are 100 officers working in pairs as you say, it follows that each pair of compliance officers will have to discharge 1000 cases per day. My guess is that such a task will be somewhat beyond their capabilities.

  • quietlife

    Yet another card left today.
    @Richard Craven – useful info thanks.

  • quietlife

    Even on bank holidays they are turning up – another card while we were out.

  • Metz Anon

    I’m somewhat of a young rebel myself :D 18 and convincing my family to trust me on refusing to fill out the census, I’ve had 3 visits now from the ‘door people’ which I’ve dealt with, but I’m leaving for a holiday on the 16th of June and I don’t think anyone in my house is prepared to deal with the officers, any advice on what to do, I don’t want to wave the white flag but I also don’t want my family being slapped with a fine either.

  • censushater

    @metz anon
    be creative with your answers.

  • Richard Craven

    @quietlife
    No Problem. It wasn’t really info as such; just basic maths with some simplifying assumptions.

  • Richard Craven

    I had my first contact with the Census people today. The woman managing the door-to-door Census people rang in response to a letter I wrote. She said that she had told all her staff not to enter my property, and said that I had been quite clever to withdraw their implied right of access, because it makes it very difficult for them to gain access to me in order to ascertain my explicit refusal to complete a Census.
    I must say that she was very polite and respectful, and seemed like a genuinely nice person.

  • Steph

    I like the no implied right of access but, what about ‘No contract, Return to sender’. Does that have any legal weight? Can you just say that or, do you have to actually return it?

  • Steph

    Why is there no reply to my above message? Is everyone giving in one by one? Links to other sites about what to do are required in BBW. More info is needed about steps to take. Why the deafening silence? Is there a law on the statute books re. compulsion?

  • quietlife

    I think the census people are calling every day and sometimes twice a day now – over holiday period too. On crashbangwallace.com the following comment appears re census comments in blog:-
    Remind them that “FAILURE to DIFFERENTIATE between a STATUTE and a LAW is GROSS NEGLIGENCE which is equivalent to the common law crime of FRAUD” This APPLIES to anyone who is trying to ENFORCE a STATUTE upon you; no matter WHO they are!
    Is this true? And if yes, does this mean that it is not legal for them to try to force us to complete the census?

  • Winston Smith

    @Steph and quietlife
    IANAL so I don’t know how strong the no contract argument is. I suspect not very but I don’t know.
    My approach is based on a statement made by the director of the census which is somewhere on the BBC website. He said if no contact has been made with the occupiers, they can’t do a thing because they have no evidence of refusal, nor do they have a name to prosecute. He said they cannot prosecute a house. So I am trying not to speak to anybody linked to the census, but if they do happen to catch me, I will definitely not give them my name.

  • Shape Shifter

    @ About the only decent thread on this is the “reptilian” one. And an anti-TVL has some good advice too – both still “live”. Just to sum up: No contact No comment Do not open the door to them!
    You are right about the way the initial “resistance” to this nonsense census seems to have waned off, all very sinister. Just to let you know that they *are* some out there who have slipped under the radar… so far. But it isn’t over until the fat lady sings.

  • Shape Shifter

    Comment was @ Steph specifically

  • O’Brien

    @ Winston Smith
    Think of it this way Winston.
    Say I am from the CPS and I want to take you to court for refusal to return a census form.
    You are pleading not guilty?
    OK, let’s got to trial…
    Call the first witness Glen Watson, establishes that a census took place and all householders were “required by law” to complete it.
    Next witnesses, census staff to state that they pushed a form through your door, knocked it a few weeks later numerous times, received no response and pushed “reminder cards” through your door.
    I am struggling her can you help me?
    See, I really need some concrete evidence like a taped confession and a signed statement witnessed by a pair of officials.
    If you are not going to admit your “guilt” the magistrate is going to throw this out due to “lack of evidence”. In fact, the evidence is so thin that it wouldn’t even make it through the courtroom door.

  • Data Base

    I wouldn’t worry: this census data (which will fit comfortably on a CD) will become just another desktop icon on civil servants, law enforcement officers, town hall staffs computers.

  • Roll Over

    It is rumoured that 192.com is itching to get get their hands on this data, deals being struck in darkened smoky rooms etc. What are the chances of the ONS becoming a partner with 192.com But how to sell it to the public, as if they care. Well, the money could be used to build schools and hospitals, employ more doctors and nurses and put more “bobbies on the beat”; it would also be an invaluable tool for tracking down “paedophiles”, maybe integrate a “basic” version of it into facebook (premium subscriptions available). Th e possibilities are endless.