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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 18th JULY 2011
Question
In the recent debate on Control of Housing and Work law (P.37/2011) the Chief Minister used figures relating to overall numbers of the "working population" to demonstrate that the agreed target for net immigration of 150 heads of household was being achieved. Will he explain to members how this correlates to the figures published by the Statistics Unit for the period 2007- 2009 which show an average net immigration of 325 heads of household and states clearly that this is the measure to be used to check progress on attaining the target set out in the Strategic Plan?
Answer
The question relates to two different Strategic Plans and two different population targets over two different time periods.
The 2009 – 2014 Strategic Plan is very clear as to what the population and immigration targets are, with reference to a number of related objectives. In particular, inter alia, these are:
maintains the level of the working age population in the Island;
ensures the total population does not exceed 100,000;
in the short term, allows maximum inward migration at a rolling five-year average of no more than 150 heads of household per annum (an overall increase of circa 325 people per annum). This would be reviewed and reset every three years (CM)[1].
The 2006 – 2011 Strategic Plan also outlined relevant population policies. The relevant extract is as follows:
- Net growth in the working population of less than 1% per annum
The speech to which the Deputy refers was made with reference to the above, and specifically, that the 1% target is being met, with working population growth over the period 2006 – 2010 averaging 1.21%, and expected to decline in 2011 to achieve the 2006 – 2011 Strategic Plan target of 1% working population growth, and the 150/325 target will be met over the period 2009 – 2012.The Statistics Unit's report covers a period that crosses the two Strategic Plans namely 2007 to 2009.
Once the census data is available towards the end of 2011, progress against the 150/325 targets and the overall population cap can be assessed in detail and published in 2012.