No, it is being done by a university - but by order of the government (functioning as "customer") which plans to replace the census by it to make "better policies".
http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3107949.ece
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/polit...233275,00.html
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Times
THE government is considering scrapping the national census after more than 200 years because the population is now so mobile it cannot be counted accurately.
The Treasury will soon begin talks over replacing the survey, which requires answers from all of Britain’s 24m households.
Pressure for a replacement after a final census in 2011 comes in the wake of serious failings in the 2001 census. The information is used as the basis for government funding of local authorities, so mistakes in counting a population can have serious consequences for public services.
A spokesman for the Office for National Statistics, which administers the census, said a formal review would begin early next year.
“We need to look again at the options available for the period beyond 2011,” he said. “Some countries are moving to alternative models and some have not held a traditional census for decades. We will be considering what others are doing as part of this review.”
Whitehall critics of the census maintain that because people move house and region so frequently, the information collected is out of date almost as soon as it has been analysed.
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Critics are also concerned about possible mass noncompliance because of security fears sparked by the repeated loss of important personal data by government departments and the intrusive nature of questions.
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I muist correct myself in one detail, though, the Guardian says so far it is planned to try voluntary participating only. statistically, that means a deformation of representativity, though - the sample would be needed to be choosen randomly and being representative, else it's findings are questionable. - so while they say it is voluntary now, it can become obilgatory at a later stage of planning nevertheless.