Census 2021 - ONS Puts Two Fingers Up To Genealogists

A few weeks ago the ONS published its response to the 2021 Census Consultation. I've had a hectic few weeks recently and couldn't comment at the time but now I've resurfaced I'm still spitting mad at the way they have treated a very simple request made by genealogists and one which is important for understanding our cultural heritage.

Censuses up to and including that taken in 1951 have included a question about birthplace but that has not been the case for any subsequent ones. This information has been invaluable to genealogists but, in the future, it is likely that many will deeply regret the 1961 - 2011 "black hole". It is quite possible that the 2021 Census will be the last conventional one and so this appeared to many genealogists to be an important opportunity to capture this information.

Unfortunately, the ONS appears to have devised a scoring system that would inevitably mark this proposed question down. This system works on a scale of 0 to 100 compiled from scores for various different criteria.

One of the criteria concerned whether the question was asked in the 2011 Census. A score of 0 out of 10 was awarded because it wasn't. BUT THIS WAS EXACTLY WHY THE REQUEST WAS BEING MADE IN THE FIRST PLACE!! Words almost fail me.

A second criterion, also scoring 0, related to inclusion of such a question in the Scotland and Northern Ireland censuses. So what? And does the ONS have information about these censuses that the general public does not?

A score of 2 out of 10 was awarded for "purpose". OK, so the ONS doesn't have much call to use the information. But by the time the public is able to access such detail it will not be the ONS administering the data, it will be the National Archives or its successor.

The conclusion one draws from all this is that the ONS doesn't give a stuff about genealogists or our cultural heritage. Indeed, if one believed in conspiracy theories one might conclude that malign forces within the organisation have deliberately sought to ensure that birthplace is not a data item for the 2021 Census. Presumably they don't care that history will condemn them.