HC Deb 02 March 1972 vol 832 cc169-70W
Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated number of Eire citizens living in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Sharples

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Clapham (Mr. William Shelton) on 7th February.—[Vol. 830, c.265–6.]

Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Eire citizens have entered the United Kingdom as immigrants in each of the last five years; and how this compares over the same years with the number of Commonwealth citizens who have come to live in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Sharples

The information available relates to people coming from the Irish Republic and registering and reregistering for National Insurance in Great Britain. The figures, which include people coming here for seasonal and other temporary employment, are as follows:

New registrations Re-registrations
1967 33,896 15,372
1968 30,929 13,351
1969 27,699 11,268
1970 27,872 11,396
1971 20,020 8,531

NOTES:

(i) In general men and single women are required to register for national insurance on entering employment in Great Britain or at the end of six months' residence, whichever is the earlier. Married women are not required to register unless they enter employment.

(ii) Persons re-registering for insurance include those who left Great Britain (perhaps to take up employment abroad) but subsequently returned (excluding those whose insurance was maintained in their absence) and also those who at some earlier date came from abroad, registered and left again.

During the same years the numbers of Commonwealth citizens settlement were:

1967 61,377
1968 53,069
1969 36,557
1970 29,886
1971 26,655

These figures do not include United Kingdom passport holders from East Africa. Since they became subject to control on 1st March, 1968 the numbers admitted for settlement have been:

  • 1st March, 1968–31st December, 1968—6,043
  • 1st January, 1969–31st December, 1969—6,249
  • 1st January, 1970–31st December, 1970–6,839.
  • 1st January, 1971–31st December, 1971—11,564.

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