The dreaded census form is here again, with its pages of impertinent questions.

The authorities claim they need all this data to allocate resources and plan services but much of it is irrelevant to such needs or could be gathered from other sources.

In what way are my exact date of birth, address with postcode one year ago, or address and postcode of my place of work of relevance to such planning?

The census adds to the erosion of our privacy and increasing feeling we have of surveillance and intrusion.

With each census, the data required increase stealthily. A century ago, there were five questions. Now there are more than 40, including, for the first time, one on religion. Next time, perhaps, there will he one on our sexuality or our income.

Our forms are not destroyed after use. One hundred years from now, historians, researchers and private inquirers will be examining them and discovering things we might prefer to have remained private.

-Graham Chainey, Marine Parade, Brighton