Population (Hansard, 28 October 1970)

§ 24. Mr. Douglas
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish figures of Scotland's population for the years 1960 to 1970.

Mr. Edward Taylor
The mid-year figures for the years 1960 to 1969 are to be found in the Annual Report of the Registrar General for 1968 and the Annual Estimates of the Population of Scotland 1969. The Registrar General's estimate for 1970 will be available shortly.

§ Mr. Douglas
Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that the figures for recent years in particular show that there has been a stabilisation, indeed a growth, of the population in Scotland, due particularly to the advancement of job opportunities and the raising of incomes there as a result of the regional policies of the previous Government? Does he not also agree that the Chancellor's statement yesterday imperils this growth, and that the most honourable thing that he can do is to advise the Secretary of State for Scotland, who has manifestly lost the battle in the Cabinet, to tender the seals of his office to Her Majesty?

Mr. Taylor
I might be tempted to answer the rather unfair and I think irresponsible observations of the hon. Gentleman, which certainly do not relate to my Department, but I shall resist the temptation. The hon. Gentleman referred to the regional policies adopted over the last few years. If he studies the figures he will see that over the last six years the population of Scotland has declined.

§ Mr. Sillars
Does the hon. Gentleman think that the United Kingdom's entry to the European Economic Community would be of advantage to Scotland? Or can we take it that the plums of Ministerial office have rather sweetened the hon. Gentleman's personal attitude to the E.E.C., which hitherto was somewhat acid?

Mr. Taylor
Irrespective of what may be said on the issue of the Common Market, I doubt whether it relates directly to the Registrar General and the figures for Scotland's population.

§ Mr. Ross
Apart from the general figures for which publication is sought in the Question, will the hon. Gentleman 211 give us the figures, which must be in the Scottish Office, of emigration for the last year? Are they so good that the Government are afraid to publish them?

Mr. Taylor
I assure the right hon. Gentleman that we are not scared to publish anything. I have already said that very shortly we shall publish these figures. I can tell the right hon. Gentleman that, unfortunately, over the last six years the population of Scotland declined. We are hoping for a reversal of this trend.