§ 1. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the figures of emigration from Scotland in 1970; and what were the comparable statistics for each of the last 10 years.
§ The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Gordon Campbell)As the answer consists of a table of figures, I shall, with permission, publish it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. HamiltonDoes the right hon. Gentleman agree that the net figures went down in the last few years of the Labour Government? As the Government have not a clue about how to solve the unemployment problem, and as the problem will get worse when they butcher Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, will the right hon. 1398 Gentleman arrange for the shipyards in the Clyde to provide more ships to ship out the emigrants?
§ Mr. CampbellWithout accepting the implications of the hon. Gentleman's remark about Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, I point out that the highest figure of emigration from Scotland since 1946 was in 1966, when it was 47,000, and that the next highest figure was in 1967, when it was 45,000. Like the hon. Gentleman, I hope that emigration can be kept to a minimum.
§ Mr. RossBearing in mind that the right hon. Gentleman must have some information about the figures and the trend, will he say whether the continuing and progressive reduction year by year—from the 47,000 figure in 1966 until it was reduced to 21,000 last year—has continued?
§ Mr. CampbellIt is too early yet to identify the trend since the 1970 figure.
§ Following are the figures:
| Year to June | Net loss by migration from Scotland |
| 1960 | 28,500 |
| 1961 | 34,600 |
| 1962 | 29,500 |
| 1963 | 34,000 |
| 1964 | 40,600 |
| 1965 | 43,000 |
| 1966 | 47,000 |
| 1967 | 45,000 |
| 1968 | 33,000 |
| 1969 | 25,000 |
| 1970 | 21,000 |