OAC 2011: Census output consultation

ONS is holding an output consultation roadshow in October,  and this gives OAC users the opportunity to support the essential pre-conditions for 2011 area classification and open geodemography.  All OAC users are being encourage to participate in this consultation.

ONS is holding an output consultation roadshow in October in England and Wales  – more information - and this gives OAC users the opportunity to support the essential pre-conditions for 2011 area classification,  with evidence of benefits from OAC 2001 and area classification generally if possible.

All OAC users are being encouraged to participate in this consultation,  from the viewpoint of interest in OAC as well as from wider interests. 

What OAC 2011 will need
Key points for OAC users are

-  to support the policy set out in the White Paper on the 2011 Census to make output free at the point of use (and with minimal conditions of use),  essential for’open geodemography but under possible threat from shortfalls in Census funding and from limitations on the use of geographical information

-  in particular to emphasize the need for the use of OA boundaries and other geographical information to be free of payments and constraints imposed by the owners of copyright elements in the geography,  including Ordnance Survey and Royal Mail.

-  to make a strong case for a set of counts for the creation of OAC 3011 to be made available as a high priority,  and as a concurrent and  statistically consistent release throughout the UK.

-  to retain objective criteria for any revisions of 2001 OAs and to minimize variation in OA population size in the particular interest of helping to optimize area classification.

These points have a wide significance for Census users and are likely to be shared with many others  and will help to realise the value of the investment in the Census,  not least through encouraging use and innovation.

Input for area classification

It is not entirely clear whether the consultation at this stage will be looking at specific counts in some form of tables,  but the initial set of variables considered for,  and particularly those used in OAC 2001 are a starting point for  2011 requirement at OA level,  and could be drawn from the questions in the UK 2011 Censuses provided data are coded appropriately and confidentiality measures (disclosure control) are not too restrictive at OA level.