I QUOTE from the preamble to the census form that reached me by the hand of an innocent lady who thought nothing odd, offensive even, of disturbing one who would like to be Christian soon after 3pm on Good Friday. The numbers in brackets refer to my notes below.

Census information is used by central and local government, health authorities and many other organisations (1) to allocate resources and plan services for everyone. The requirement for you to return a completed form will not be satisfied until such form has been received. (2) The information you provide is protected by law and treated in strict confidence. (3) The information is only used for statistical purposes and anyone using or disclosing Census information improperly (4) will be liable to prosecution. Census forms will be held securely (5) Under the currant (6) terms of the Public Records Act 1958, the data will be treated as confidential for 100 years (3, 4 and 5).

In principle there is nothing sinister in a census however this Census 2001 form demands, yes, demands, so many facts that really are not the business of government. It is far more invasive of privacy that that of 10 years ago.

What scares me is that this form demands personal details such as the Nazis did in Germany of the early 30s and which gave them such a hold on their mainly nave population. The Cotswold Journal probably does not have a large Jewish readership but ask any elderly member of this faith, or anyone with the memory of an historian; they will confirm my fears.

Human experience shows that governments should not be trusted all that much. Governments. "You know it makes sense" usually hides the hidden agenda of convenience to government servants. The condition upon which God hath given Liberty to man is eternal vigilance (J P Curran. Speech in Dublin, 1790) Nothing changes.

I for one will use my not inconsiderable imagination to devise answers to this obnoxious and dangerous form which are as uninformative as I can make them rather than incur a liability of up to a £1,000 (a £1,000! You get fined much less that that for unspeakably anti-social acts) which I do not have spare even for this excellent cause. Others should follow me if they know what is good for them.

1 Who are these many other organisations? We should be told ... and verifiably.

2 So, I return it in the only prescribed manner, it gets lost (as statistically a few will) but not by me, and I am liable. Surely no court will penalise me and if so, well ...!

3 Oh yer? Well probably until some busybody wishes for this information; then of course the goal posts will be moved.

4 "Improperly could easily be changed at the whim of even a junior Civil Servant, yes, perhaps not for some time yet.

5 We hope and they probably will be, but from whom?

6 "Currant" indeed! What of the future? See note 4.

RICHARD FALKINER, Ledley House, Ebrington.