Lockheed Martin wins 'last' Census
Lockheed Martin has been appointed to support the 2011 Census of England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the Office of National Statistics, despite a high-profile Internet campaign against the company. The £150m contract has been assigned at a time when the Census in its current form is under pressure.
Speaking at a Demographic User Group conference this month, John Pullinger of the House of Commons Library said the current format could be the last. "Census Day in 2001 was more difficult than ever. 2011 is likely to get more difficult and there is growing public concern," he said.
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He argued that public trust in the Government has been undermined by high-profile data security breaches. "Unless we create trusted benefits where information is shared in ways the public believes, understands and can see clearly, then we will be likely to find we won't be able to get access to the information and research analyses we need," he said.
Eurobarometer research shows that 77 per cent of people do not trust the Government to look after their personal data. At the same time, the uses to which Census data is put have grown substantially. One major concern expressed by MPs over the Lockheed Martin appointment is that the company would not be able to keep personal information from the Census confidential.
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