Census questionnaire to be sent to every city household

Every single household in Stoke-on-Trent will be getting a copy of the Census questionnaire popping through their letter boxes to capture a snapshot of city life in 2011.

Residents from the city will be part of the 25 million Census questionnaires entering the postal system today (March 7). Questionnaires will be sent to every household in England and Wales. The questionnaires are in preparation for Census Day on Sunday March 27.

A census is taken every ten years to create a snapshot of the population to effectively allow both central and local governments to plan the delivery of services over the coming decade, including education, healthcare and transport.

Which basically means you are place into a pigion hole based on the people around you.

Councillor Mohammed Pervez, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said:

“Our city has seen some tough times over recent years but we have also got many things which we should be extremely proud of. I would like to encourage everyone in the city to take part with this Census as it will help us demonstrate to future generations just what life was like in the city during 2011 and in turn show some of the good work that is going on to improve our residents’ standard of life.”

Mr Pervez doesn't list these things that we should be proud of, and most would be grateful to know just what great things have happened in the 10 years since the last one occurred.

Office for National Statistics Census Director, Glen Watson, added: "The results paint a unique picture of our community that is used to help plan local services and allocate funding. All our public services depend on the number and type of people living in the local community."
Again, the census will allow number crunchers in Whitehall and the Civic Center to referrer to this data over and over to withhold or hand out cash and amenities in your area, based on a picture painted on old data as years go by.

The 2011 Census is the first time people will be able to complete the questionnaire online. The online system went live on Friday 4 March. The questionnaire contains a personal internet access code in the top right corner which needs to be entered on www.census.gov.uk to complete the questionnaire.

The questionnaire, whether completed online or posted back, should be a reflection of the people living or staying in each household on March 27.