RSSeNEWS to be determined...

Jil Matheson, National Statistician, and Glen Watson, Census Director, Office for National Statistics have appeared before the Commons Public Administration Committee (PAC) to give expert evidence on the new questions proposed for the 2011 official census.

Matheseon told PAC that the new questions were "the result of extensive research and testing". The hearing, on 19 November, was part of PAC's inquiry into the preparations for the upcoming census. The 2011 census proposes seven new questions, two about the household, five about the residents.

Jil Matheson has already gone on record to reassure the UK public that census information is completely confidential and that "the primary purpose of the census is to produce accurate population estimates".

Her comments were a response to Conservative claims, echoed in the media, that the new questions "will erode public support, cost more, and result in a less accurate survey" and are "yet another sign of how the Labour government has no respect the privacy of law-abiding citizens".

Other witnesses at the hearing included the Demographics User Group Equality, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and Professor Philip Rees.