The 2011 Census White Paper and OAC

The recently published White Paper on the 2011 Census contains proposals favourable to a repeat of an Output Area classification and for open geodemography generally, but key parts of output strategy still have to be put in place.

The White Paper ‘Helping to shape tomorrow’, published on 11 December 2008 with proposals by the UK Statistics Authority for the 2011 Census in England and Wales, is a substantial document aimed primarily at getting cooperation on all fronts for a successful enumeration. But it contains broad proposals favourable to Output Area classification and to open geodemography generally

- free access to standard output.
- a full topic coverage, suitable for area classification.
- a reasonable level of UK consistency.
- a repeat of the 2001 Output Area geography.

There is further to go in all, and this reflects a continuing development of strategy for output.

The OAC User Group is planning to hold a seminar in 2010 on ‘OAC 2011′ when plans for the Census output are more detailed.

Open access

The key statement (on page 10 of the executive summary) is that

“…there should be free public access to all standard national and local outputs in electronic media from National Statistics online.”

However, there could be a range of possible interpretations – room for manoeuvre which ONS might want. From the direct point of view of the OAC User Group in having a product in the public domain without restrictions on dissemination, we need

- the term “public” to equate all users whatever their use
- terms for use to be those of the minimally restrictive ‘click use licence’, and to apply to derived products as well
- the free access to include whatever standard output is derived from the use of the 2011 Census address register, in which three suppliers have various ‘copyright’ interests, and boundaries and other geographical information to be similarly free and, along with other users with similar interests, need to continue to make the case for this approach, and to support implementation by ONS – ultimately to help maximise the return from the investment in the Census.

Key to area classification

Further key proposals favourable to area classification are

- for UK consistency (section 5.25), at least to the level of the 2001 Census
- concurrent phases of output across all areas (section 5.28), as in 2001
- use of 2001 Census Output Areas wherever possible (section 5.36ff), although there is no mention of small area time series for this stable base which could open new dimensions in classifications.

However, whilst the White Paper deals with privacy and confidentially at some length, there are no specific proposals for the disclosure control likely to apply to the statistical and geographical detail of small area output. There is a continuing need to make the case for minimal impact on the value of area classifications, which are themselves one of the least disclosive form of statistics.

More detail

The White Paper for England and Wales can be downloaded as a PDF from here

The 111 page document presents proposals by the UK Statistics Authority as the basis for the necessary Parliamentary approval and legislation (the White Paper explains the process), and has a full and open account of what will be happening in the Census.

A Policy Statement on the 2011 Census for Scotland was published on the same day, viewable from here although proposals for Northern Ireland are awaited. There will be parallel processes in the devolved administrations.