§ Mr. Smallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest estimate of Scotland's population and of net migration; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MillanIt is estimated that the population of Scotland at 30th June 1976 was 5,205,100, a reduction of 1,100 since mid-1975.
The estimated net loss by migration was 4,800. This compares with an estimated net migration loss of 19,000 in the previous year.
The sources of information from which these migration estimates are compiled are records of movements of patients on doctors' lists and the International Passenger Sample Survey. While these sources are subject to errors of coverage, time lag and sampling, they suggest that net emigration to overseas has fallen appreciably and that over the last three-year period net migration between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom has been nearly in balance.