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The Blaker
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19 SEP 1980
NO. 1 17
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In Tim Raison's absence from the office I am replying to your letter of 30th July with which you enclosed this one from
S/ Mihne PS
ix
Your constituent's first point is concerned with the reported difficulties in controlling immigration into Hong Kong from China. Richard Luce at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to whom I am copying this correspondence may wish to comment on the situation but my concern is to correct Miss Hemmen's impression that citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies holding passports issued by the Governor of Hong Kong have automatic right of entry to the United Kingdom. This is not the case; without specific connections with this country which relatively few people in the Colony possess, holders of so-called Hong Kong passports are subject to United Kingdom immigration controls and have to qualify for admission in accordance with the published Immigration Rules like other Commonwealth citizens. Admission for settlement is strictly controlled and consists mostly of a small number of wives and children joining heads of household already settled here. I hope that this provides your correspondent with the reassurance she seeks.
Turning to Miss Heemen's views about the size of the immigrant community in the United Kingdom, Press interest in this is usually confined to the New Commonwealth and Pakistan (N.C.W.P.). Regular mid-year estimates of the population of N.C.W.P. ethnic origin are made by the Office of Population, Censuses am Surveys (O.P.C.S.). The most recent of these, published in OPCS Monitor PP1 79/9, estimated that in mid-1978 the population in Great Britain of N.C.W.P. ethnic origin (including those of mixed origin) was 1.9 million, or 3.6 per cent of the total population. These estimates take into account any natural changes (the balance of births less deaths) in the N.C.W.P. population and international migration. Results from surveys such as the 'National Dwelling and Housing 1978' also confirm these results and indicate that the actual size of the N.C.W.P. population is substantially below the figure of 6 million suggested by Miss Heemen's journalist acquaintance.
Information on the total size of the population in this country is published regularly by 0.P.C.S. in their series 'Population Trends'; this indicates that over the past ten years the population
John Page, Esq., M.P.
/has changed