Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Monday, 13 June 2011.

Census

Question: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that very full Answer. However, he will be aware that this is a survey of people who have filled out the census form and about whom no questions have been raised as to accuracy. They are required to stand on a doorstep for 10 minutes, answering personal questions from a complete stranger. If someone refuses to answer, surveyors are instructed to return as many as 10 times to wear them down into answering this survey. As someone said to me, it is fascinating to watch an exercise that not only wastes public money but manages to alienate the public. Will the Minister give us a guarantee that future evaluations of the census will be proportionate, targeted and designed—please—with a dose of common sense?

Answer: I am sorry that my noble friend takes that view of this exercise, which is a valuable part of the census. I understand her concern about intrusiveness; these things are not taken in hand lightly. However, the survey is a vital element of the whole of the 2011 census operation. It is necessary in order to assess the extent of any undercount, and to provide information on those persons missed in the census to adjust the final estimates so as to enable all the resulting statistics to relate to the whole population.

Secondary information