There have been several posts on the BRIN website this year highlighting key religion-related findings from various reports on the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Citizenship Survey of England and Wales. The Survey commenced in 2001 and currently runs on an annual (and continuous) basis.
Inter alia, the Citizenship Survey covers the incidence of religious prejudice and discrimination, and the role of religion in community cohesion. The Survey employs a large core sample of 10,000 adults each year, with ethnic minority and Muslim boosts of 5,000 and 1,200 respectively.
Now the Department has issued a 13-page consultation paper stating that ‘unless there is feedback from users indicating an overriding need to continue with the Citizenship Survey’, the Department proposes to discontinue it after 2010-11. The decision has been driven by the need ‘to find savings as a result of the fiscal deficit’.
The aims of the consultation are threefold:
- To identify how Citizenship Survey data are currently used
- To understand the implications of cancelling the Citizenship Survey
- To identify options for alternative information sources, in the event of the Department proceeding with the cancellation of the Citizenship Survey, including the collection of data of less stringent quality
The consultation document can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/futurecitizenshipsurvey
Any comments should be sent, preferably by email, and to arrive no later than 5 pm on Tuesday 30 November, to:
