It may be too early to talk about Christmas for some – not for me. I have decided on the design theme, got my advent calendar, am close to finalising the Christmas menu and have started ordering gifts. I am all over it! And getting more excited by the day.
Christmas means different things to different people, but it is certainly my favourite census related celebration. Weren’t Mary and Joseph off to Bethlehem to register as part of a census? Timely then as part of my, possibly a bit too keen, Christmas preparations, I am pleased to say we have published our phase 2 assessment reports for the 2021 Census in England and Wales and the 2021 Census in Northern Ireland.
If you read my previous blog, you’ll know I have been leading OSR’s work on the Censuses in the UK and today is a bit of a milestone moment for me as part of this assessment. The publication of these reports is a culmination of a range of work which kicked off three or four years ago and it has been so interesting and rewarding to speak with users and stakeholders of Census data and statistics throughout – it’s been an absolute gift!
Our reports recognise the efforts of the Office for National Statistics and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency in delivering Census live operations and their continuing work to produce high quality, extremely valuable Census data and statistics. I wanted to take the opportunity to specifically thank all of the individuals and teams who have taken the time to engage with me and my colleagues as part of this assessment process. You have been open with us, kept us up to date with developments and have taken on board our feedback throughout the process. All the while getting on with the more important job at hand, working on Census itself.
As we get closer to the festive season, I wish you all a well-deserved break and raise a glass of sparkling elderflower pressé to one and all.
Related links:
Assessment of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics – 2021 Census in England and Wales
Assessment of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics – 2021 Census in Northern Ireland