§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment from what areas Milton Keynes and Northampton new towns have drawn their population increases over the past three years; and what has been the total of investment undertaken in each.
§ Sir George YoungStatistics on this subject are not regularly collected. Limited information on migration to Milton Keynes and Northampton in 1980–81 is published in table 1 of the published volumes "Census 1981;
146WRegional Migration; The South East, 100% Tables (Ref CEN 81 RM 5)", for Milton Keynes, and "Census 1981; Regional Migration; The East Midlands, 100% Tables (Ref CEN 81 RM 2)", in the case of Northampton, copies of which are in the Library.
Gross capital expenditure by the new town development corporations in each of the last three years is as follows:
Milton Keynes £ million
Northampton £ million
1980–81 68.247 24.878 1981–82 56.799 12.989 1982–83 50.051 7.721 Private sector investment in these towns is currently estimated to be at least £100 million per annum.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the rate of expansion in terms of population of new towns in Milton Keynes and Northampton in each of the past five years; and if he will publish projections over the next decade.
§ Sir George YoungFigures for recent population growth are as follows. As my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment announced to the House on 4 February 1981— [Vol. 998, c. 291]—the future rates of growth of Milton Keynes and Northampton will depend substantially on private sector investment, and particularly on the rate of demand for private housebuilding. We envisage that it is likely that these towns will achieve populations of at least 150,000 and 170,000 within the next decade.
Milton Keynes Northampton Population as at 31 March 1979 86,000 154,000 Population as at 31 March 1980 90,000 157,000 Population as at 31 March 1981 97,000 157,000 Population as at 31 March 1982 102,500 160,000 Population as at 31 March 1983 109,200 162,000