Can I encourage readers to think carefully before answering the “What is your religion?” question in the 2011 census?

Technically, this is what’s called a leading question as, because of the way it is phrased, it encourages many people to feel that they should give a positive answer. And this, indeed, is exactly what happened when it was first included in the national census just 10 years ago.

British Social Attitudes 2009 is widely recognised as the most reputable non-governmental survey and, in answer to its (non-leading) question “Do you regard yourself as belonging to any particular religion?”, just over 50 per cent answered “No”.

By contrast, more than 70 per cent of us, when attempting to answer the 2001 census’s leading question “What is your religion?” gave the answer “Christian – of some sort or other”.

I’m sure I can leave it to readers to judge for themselves which percentage is more accurate (though, in many people’s opinions, there is no doubt that the Government survey deliberately wanted to boost the people-of-faith percentages).

More worryingly, since that 2001 census, central and local governments (of many persuasions) have used the 70 per cent figure to justify the continuance of collective worship in our schools, increase the number of publicly funded faith schools, keep the 26 bishops in the House of Lords, and, most recently, contract out (non-religious) public services to religious organisations.

Many people in the last census clearly ticked the ‘Christian’ box. Yet they don’t hold Christian beliefs, go to church or identify as Christian in any meaningful way.

I strongly urge those readers who do not practise or strongly identify with any particular religion to tick the “No Religion” box in the 2011 census.

John D White, Chairman, Oxford Humanists, Chalgrove