HL Deb 10 December 1970 vol 313 cc1159-60WA
LORD O'HAGAN

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many of those born in what are now independent Commonwealth countries and who are now resident in in the United Kingdom, possess citizenship of those Commonwealth countries; how many possess United Kingdom citizenship; what overlap there is between these two categories; what is the size of the group as a whole; and whether they will publish these figures giving separate estimates for each country of origin.

LORD WINDLESHAM

In mid-1970 there were estimated to be about 1.1 million people in the United Kingdom who had been born in what are now independent Commonwealth countries. This figure cannot be sub-divided to show countries of birth, but I will send the noble Lord the figures from the 1966 Sample Census sub-divided in this way.

From 1949 to 1969 (inclusive) about 282,000 citizens of independent Commonwealth countries were registered as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies, but I cannot say bow many of them retained their former citizenship or how many are still here.