HC Deb 25 October 1966 vol 734 cc824-5
Q4. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Prime Minister whether the statement of the Director General of Research and Development at the Ministry of Public Building and Works that Great Britain would have to make room for 20,000,000 more people by the end of the century represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

The Prime Minister

This was an estimate based on a projection of current trends and not a statement of policy, Sir.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

What figure has the Prime Minister in mind for the optimum population of the United Kingdom during the rest of this century? If this prophecy is to be fulfilled, has the right hon. Gentleman any plans to provide for a better balanced distribution of the British population throughout the temperate Commonwealth?

The Prime Minister

Since the Government have no causal control over the size of the population I do not consider it appropriate for the Government to have in their mind an optimum figure for the population of the country, either by the end of this century or for any other time. The material quoted by Sir Donald Gibson, based largely on the best available research in this direction, suggested that the figures would be of this order. He was particularly concerned with building operations and the supply of land to ensure that the population could be properly accommodated.