HL Deb 20 March 1997 vol 579 c85WA
The Earl of Kimberley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the total number of non-white people living in Great Britain in 1945, and what is the total in 1997.

Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics, and he has been asked to arrange a reply to be given.

Letter to the Earl of Kimberley from the Director of the Office for National Statistics, Mr. Tim Holt.

I have been asked to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent parliamentary Question on how many non-white people were living in Great Britain in 1945 and 1997.

The earliest year for which population estimates by ethnicity are available is 1966. The article Country of birth and colour 1971–74, in Population Trends, 2, 1975 gave the first set of such estimates and described their derivation. Persons of "New Commonwealth and Pakistani (NCWP) ethnic origin" who were resident in Great Britain in 1966, were estimated to number one million.

Results from the 1995–96 Labour Force Surveys provide an estimate of the ethnic minority population of Great Britain of 3.3 million people. This estimate will be published in Population Trends, 88 in an article entitled Population Review: The ethnic minority and overseas-born populations of Great Britain, which may be of interest to you. Copies of Population Trends are held in the House of Commons Library.