§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of births in England and Wales for each of the last 10 years has been to mothers born in the New Commonwealth and Pakistan; what additional proportion of births has been to mothers of New Commonwealth and Pakistan origin but who have themselves been born in the United Kingdom; and what projections have been made for the future.
§ Dr. VaughanAnnual estimates of live births occurring in Great Britain to 731W overseas-born parents of New Common-wealth and Pakistan (NCWP) ethnic origin have been made on the basis of information collected at birth registration since April 1969, as follows:
The above figures include births of mixed ethnic origin, that is with only one over-seas-born parent of NCWP ethnic origin, including births to NCWP fathers and mothers of indigenous origin. Births of mixed origin are estimated to have amounted to between 1 and 1.5 per cent. of the annual number of births in Great Britain over the period covered.
per cent. of all live-birth in Great Britain Year Mid 1969–70 6.0 Mid 1970–71 5.9 Mid 1971–72 5.9 Mid 1972–73 6.0 Mid 1973–74 6.1 Mid 1974–75 6.3 Mid 1975–76 6.8 Mid 1976–77 7.5 Mid 1977–78 7.8 The information collected at birth registration does not distinguish births to United Kingdom-born parents of NCWP ethnic origin. The age structure of the population of NCWP ethnic origin born in this country is such that at the beginning of the 1970s very few had reached childbearing age. It is estimated that births to this population would have accounted in the year ended mid 1978 for ¾ to 1 per cent. of the total number of births occurring in Great Britain.
A discussion of possible future trends in births in the population of NCWP ethnic origin was included in an article in Population Trends No. 16, the quarterly journal of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, published on 19 June.