HC Deb 11 February 1965 vol 706 cc541-2
Q2. Sir D. Renton

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the over-urbanisation and over-population of Great Britain, Her Majesty's Government will take steps to reduce immigration from the Commonwealth and from foreign countries, to stimulate emigration and to consider afresh the implications of the high birth rate among people of all races resident in Great Britain.

The Prime Minister

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made a statement last week about Commonwealth immigration. We have no present proposals for a change in policy regarding immigration from foreign countries, which is already closely controlled, nor have we any plans to stimulate emigration, which did in fact rise by 33 per cent. in 1963 compared with 1962.

Sir D. Renton

Is the Prime Minister aware that only half the land surface of Great Britain remains farming land, and that another 1 million acres will be taken for development in the next 15 to 18 years?

Mr. Manuel

Not in Scotland.

Sir D. Renton

Has not the time come to make future long-term plans to achieve a proper balance between land and people, so that posterity will not resent our folly?

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir, but the proper way to plan between land and people is to tackle the problem of land and not the problem of people.

Mr. Duffy

Is my right hon. Friend aware that in the opinion of many who are qualified to make this kind of assessment the most serious deficiency in the growth of the British economy in 1965 will be the shortage of manpower and the wasteful use of manpower?

Sir D. Renton

Can the Prime Minister explain his answer to my supplementary question?

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir. What we need in this country is the most intelligent use of the land that we have. There are very large tracts of land which are not available to the British people as a whole. As I understood the right hon. and learned Member's original Question, he was raising the whole issue whether we could afford the present high birth rate. It is more important to plan the land than to plan the people or the birth rate.