§ Mr. Ameryasked the Minister of Health what is the Registrar-General's estimate of the population of England and Wales in the year 1960, assuming the continuance unchanged of the present birth and death rates, and excluding prospective increases 2268W due to immigration from foreign countries or from Eire; and by how much this differs from the present population?
§ Mr. ElliotI regret that it would not be possible for estimates to be constructed in accordance with my right hon. Friend's wishes without a far wider range of assumptions than those stated in the question. Estimates of the future population of Great Britain have been recently prepared by the Registrar-General and submitted in evidence to the Royal Commission on the Distribution of the Industrial Population, accompanied by a full statement of the assumptions adopted as relatively most probable. I understand that this evidence will in due course be published, and I am sending, with the consent of the chairman of the Royal Commission, a copy of the evidence to my right hon. Friend.