HC Deb 03 February 1978 vol 943 cc339-41W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent approaches have been made to him about the future of the Pool Competitions Act 1971; it he is aware of the anxieties of many major charitable organisations on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

dependants, annually to the latest available month, compared with figures for the same time each year for the last five years, and by countries of origin.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

Detailed breakdowns, by country of citizenship or nationality, of the number of people accepted for settlement are published in the annual Command Papers, the latest of which is "Control of Immigration, Statistics, 1976" (Cmnd 6883) published in July 1977. Detailed figures for 1977 are not yet available, but provisional estimates can be made for broad categories and are given below together with corresponding figures for the previous four years:

Mr. Merlyn Rees

Representations have been made on behalf of my hon. Friend, and the matter was referred to in the Report of the Goodman Committee on Charity Law. It will not be possible to say what the future arrangements might be until after the Royal Commission on Gambling has reported later this year, but I know there is concern about this, and it is my intention to seek parliamentary approval to the Act being extended for a further year from July 1978.