Counts for something

The point of the census depends on whom you ask and when (“The measure of all things,” November). Censuses tell us things about ourselves that may confirm our suspicions. They also tell us some shockers.

But one crucial—and o en overlooked—aspect is that censuses are invaluable for business. Billions of pounds’ worth of investment decisions rest on data thrown up by them.

When ministers proposed ending the census in 2012 and replacing it with a more limited survey, some of the loudest opposition came from business groups. How do telecoms providers know where to lay high-speed broadband? The census can show population densities that make installation worthwhile. When a new supermarket opens on the high street, how does it know whether to stock more Polish foods or more halal goods? Census results can be broken down into six-digit postal code sections. A quick look at which languages those living nearest the new shop report to speak will help answer the question.

For all the expense and effort of carrying out censuses, they serve a crucial purpose.

Norma Cohen, former FT demography correspondent

In his article on the census, David McAllister quips that Austrian seamen might have come to Victorian Britain because their home was landlocked. Although modern Austria has no coastline, the contemporary Austrian Empire had extensive access to the sea round the Adriatic coast. We have only to consult that wellknown historical source The Sound of Music to learn that up until the First World War there was an Austrian navy, and presumably also a merchant navy.

Neil MacFarlane, Edinburgh