What is probably the statistical meeting of the decade take place at the
Royal Statistical Society on Wedneday . It is the only occasion, except
perhaps for that with regard to unemployment statistics in the 1980s, that
there has been a major challenge to the accuracy of government statistics.
An introductory paper by Susan Purdon and Gerry Nicolaas examines the trend
in falling response rates to social surveys that indicates the scale of
problems faced in conducting the Census.. But the One Number Census
solution to these problems adopted by the ONS has proved to be
controversial. The main paper at Wednesday's meeting by Philip Redfern
challeanges the accuracy of the Census results and its migration
assumptions. The paper by Purdon & Nicolaas, and that by Redfern are
available for download on the RSS website at
http://www.rss.org.uk/publications/preprints.html. A response to these
papers by Len Cook, the National Statistician, is expected at the meeting.
Note that if you speak or send in a written contribution to the discussion
it is expected that what you say will in due course be published in the
Journal. More details of the meeting are given below. Contact me if you
want further information.
Ray Thomas
Secretary Official Statistics Committee
Royal Statistical Society
Tel 01908 679081 Fax 01908 550401
35 Passmore, Milton Keynes MK6 3DY
[log in to unmask]
*******************************************************
A discussion meeting to be held at the Royal Statistical Society.
Wenesday 9th July 5 pm. Tea available at 4.30 pm.
PHILIP REDFERN - formerly Office of Population Censuses and Surveys
SUSAN PURDON & GERRY NICOLAAS - National Centre for Social Research
LEN COOK - National Statistician, Office for National Statistics
A paper by Purdon and Nicolaas will address concerns about falling
response rates in the Census and other social surveys. A paper by Philip
Redfern makes a critical examination of the 2001 Census results in the
light of evidence on sex ratios, discusses the implication of fuzziness
about 'usual address', problems in making revisions, and the prospects for
registration systems as an alternative to a Census. Len Cook
will address this range of issues from the perspective of the ONS.
Papers from Philip Redfern and Susan Purdon & Gerry Nicolaas have been
posted on the Society's web site at
http://www.rss.org.uk/publications/preprints.html. Please come to the
meeting and contribute to the discussion, which it is intended to be
reported in the Society's Journal. If you would like to contribute to the
discussion please notify Greg Phillpotts
(email:[log in to unmask], telephone +44 (0)20 7972 5795). If
you are not able to make the meeting, written contributions of up to 400
words will be welcome, and can also be addressed to Greg Phillpotts.Subject
to the availability of time at the meeting, written contributions will be
read out as well as appearing in the record.
There will be a buffet supper after the meeting for which there is a charge
of GBP14.00. Please advise Jonelle Lewis Chamberlain on 020 7614 3910
(email [log in to unmask]) if you would like to attend the supper.
Directions and map to be found at:
http://www.rss.org.uk/about/direction.html
********************************************************
|
