§ Mr. Powellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what current estimated fertility rate the General Register Office used in June, 1967, for the purpose of its projection of 3½ million coloured immigrants from the new Commonwealth and their children resident in Great Britain in 1985 on the assumption that the current rate of net immigration and the current estimated fertility rate remained substantially unchanged.
§ Mr. CrossmanThe figure of 3½ million to which the right hon. Gentleman refers was given as a possible order of magnitude. Of the two assumptions which were postulated by the hon. Member who asked for this calculation to be made, the important one was the future level of net migration. The order of magnitude indicated was appropriate for a wide range of fertility levels and could not be said to reflect a precise level within that range.