Census Cohort Study presentation

FOI Reference: FOI/2022/4274

You asked

Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please send me a full copy of the presentation on the Census Cohort study given to the NSDEC meeting in April:

https://uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Minute_Final.pd

Please also send me a copy of the proof-of-concept study if this has been completed.

We said

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request asking for a full copy of the presentation on the Census Cohort study given to the National Statistician's Data Ethics Advisory Committee (NSDEC) in April.

We treat the data that we hold with respect, keeping it secure and confidential, and we use statistical methods that are professional, ethical and transparent.  No individuals are identified in the statistics we produce to better inform public services and personal census records are legally protected for 100 years.

• The census provides a snapshot and insight every 10 years into who we are and how we live. While the census provides the best picture of society at a moment in time, how we produce our population and social statistics is changing.

• There is a need for more timely, frequent and inclusive statistics, that make the best use of all available data and enable us to understand our population and how it changes on an ongoing basis.

• We published an article on 14 July that sets out how we are developing new methods to estimate the size and shape of the population, to be more responsive to user needs and inform decisions for the public good.

• The National Statistician will make a recommendation in 2023 on the future of the census and population statistics.

Please see accompanying download titled "NSDEC Census Cohort Study presentation". Since presenting to NSDEC, we are now referring to the Census Cohort study as the "Census 2021 Data Asset for England & Wales". This name change reflects that a Census 2021 Data Asset for England & Wales builds on the success of the Public Health Data Asset. The Public Health Data Asset linked 2011 Census with deaths and health data to provide timely evidence on the Pandemic from 2020. The Health Data Asset demonstrated the high value of linking events prospectively to census data, however there were limitations which the design of the Census 2021 Data Asset seeks to address. We have since been back to NSDEC to seek assurances that our design and approach to the Census 2021 Data Asset meet NSDEC ethical principles. We will continue to work closely with NSDEC and the Centre for Applied Data Ethics (CADE) as we develop a proof of concept for the 2021 Census Data Asset. As such, a proof of concept study is not currently held.

The proof of concept aims to demonstrate the opportunities and benefits of our ambition to move to a transformed system that makes best use of all available data to produce more timely and frequent statistics for the public good.

We will engage and be transparent on our plans for the Census 2021 Data Asset and plan to publish the outcomes from the proof of concept and the public benefits that it will bring in Spring 2023.