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To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the
change in the total number of households in the United
Kingdom between 2010 and 2014 is attributed to households
with a non-United Kingdom born household reference person.
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Communities and Local Government and Wales Office (Lord
Bourne of Aberystwyth) (Con)
My Lords, according to the Office for National Statistics,
90% of the growth in households from 2010 to 2014 can be
attributed to households with a household reference person
born outside the UK.
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(CB)
My Lords, I have been asked to explain that a “household
reference person” is modern bureaucratic-speak for head of
household. Now we know what we are talking about, I thank
the Minister for his response. Does he agree that we should
welcome the many contributions that immigrants make to our
society and economy, but that we should also be frank about
the costs? Does he recall telling this House on 19 January
that in the main scenario, just over one-third of
additional households were due to net migration? Yet today
he tells us that in the most recent period, 90% of
additional households were headed by an immigrant. Surely
it is now obvious that the DCLG should be using the
high-migration scenario—that is, the one that implies a
demand for a new house for a migrant family every five
minutes, night and day.
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My Lords, it is the case that 37% of household growth is
due to net migration. I certainly endorse the noble Lord’s
comment that we have every reason to be grateful for
immigration; it adds to the diversity of national life and
makes a significant contribution to national life, not
least to the public services.
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(LD)
My Lords, these statistics need to be interpreted very
carefully. For example, the Minister’s right honourable
friend the Foreign Secretary was born in the United States
of America so—although Marina might argue to the
contrary— is the head of a
household who was born outside the United Kingdom. Does the
Minister agree that overall, migrants, particularly those
from the European Union, contribute far more to the United
Kingdom than they take out, and not only should they be
welcomed but, if they are already here, they should be
allowed to stay?
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My Lords, it is interesting to speculate that as the
Foreign Secretary was, as the noble Lord has said, born in
the United States, that makes him, I think, eligible to
stand and become President of the United States—an
interesting scenario. I certainly endorse the noble Lord’s
effective point about the contribution that the immigrant
communities have made to this country. As the Prime
Minister has indicated, that will continue to be the case:
in any scenario we will still be welcoming many people to
this country as immigrants.
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(Lab)
My Lords, does the Minister realise that the Foreign
Secretary renounced his American citizenship only last year
and that he is therefore not eligible to stand for
President of the United States of America?
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Noble Lords
No!
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But while I am on my feet, will the Minister also confirm
that about 60,000 individuals from the European Union are
working in our National Health Service, and that the
service would collapse completely without them?
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My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for correcting me
in relation to the Foreign Secretary. I certainly was not
trying to whip up a campaign on his behalf, and I now know
that there would be no point in doing that any way.
The noble Lord’s very serious point about the contribution
of EU citizens—as well as of other people who were not born
in this country—to public services, including the National
Health Service, is well made and the Government are well
aware of that.
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(Lab)
My Lords, I would not dream of asking the Minister a
question about how many EU citizens are involved in
building houses because he is very proficient and I am sure
he would not have that information. However, would he agree
with my observation that many houses—for both incoming and
existing families—are built with the endeavours of migrant
workers from the EU?
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My Lords, the noble Baroness is very kind and her point is
well made. It is certainly the case that a significant
number of people who work in construction are from
communities that were born overseas. We have regular
discussions with the construction management board to
ensure that the needs of that sector are taken account of,
in view of the independent Farmer review which looked at
that area.
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(CB)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that our universities
are—along with those in the United States of America—the
best in the world? This is greatly because of the
foreigners who make up almost one-third of our academics.
According to a recent report, almost 50% of academics in
some subjects are from abroad. Without them we would not
have excellence. It does not matter that they were foreign
born: they are of benefit to this country.
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My Lords, the noble Lord makes a very important point about
our universities, which I think are the best in the world,
independently of America. Many people in them are
undoubtedly from overseas, including many students.
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(Lab)
My Lords, the Minister rightly pointed to the contribution
made by immigrants to the health service, but a growing
proportion of households have someone needing care at home.
A report today from the TUC suggested that 7% of social
care workers are from other EEA countries, with others from
outside the EU as well. What effect would it have on
informal care in the home if immigration were significantly
reduced?
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My Lords, the noble Baroness makes a very valuable point
about the care sector, a large number of the employees of
which undoubtedly come from overseas—not just the European
communities. The Government are well aware of this and it
will inform our immigration policy. We recognise that we
need significant numbers of the brightest and best people
with particular skills for our public services and
elsewhere.
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of Dalston (CB)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that, as the series of
questions to which we have just listened shows, it is
completely counter- productive to keep harping on about the
quantity of immigration, not the quality?
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My Lords, I think that that is the essence of the
Government’s policy. We recognise the need for particular
skills. We recognise that over time we have relied on the
skills of immigrant communities who have made a massive
contribution to national life, and continue to do so. I
endorse what the noble Lord said.
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(Con)
My Lords, we have heard a number of questions and all of
them have commented on the very good things—the advantages
of immigration to this country. Will my noble friend tell
me how many of those convicted of terrorism or aiding
terrorism have been immigrants, and how many of them have
been the children of immigrants?
