Agenda item

Councillor Moores put the following question to Councillor Johnston:

“Given the growing media interest in Thanet's immigration figures. Is the Leader able to provide a figure which reveals the true picture of migration in Thanet and in particular figures for Margate Central, Cliftonville West and Ramsgate?”

Councillor Johnston responded to Councillor Moores’ question as follows:

“I contacted officers who have provided both of us with so much material that it took some time to unravel.  It looked at the 2011 census down to where we are now.  This included breakdowns of nationality in quite some detail.  It is important to note that migration figures are generated from two sets of data, immigration – people coming in, and emigration – people leaving the area. The Council has access to district level data from 2003 to 2013 showing the patterns of movement in and out of the area, in terms of national and international movements.  It should be noted that the data is not definitive as it is based on surveys of international entrants that do not necessary give their final destination. However the quality of the data is improved by linking with national insurance number statistics.

Over the last decade international immigration is exceeding international emigration.  More people are coming into the area than are leaving. Although more people have moved into the area than have moved out the difference between the two has decreased to 0.22% of population in 2012/13, from 0.39% of population in 2003/4. Internal migration from within the country has remained considerably higher than international movement for the last decade. However the 2011 census shows that 97% of Thanet’s population has lived here for more than five years.  The 2011 census also provides additional information at ward level.  It shows that 93.3% of Margate South’s population have lived here for more than five years, but 86.1% of Cliftonville West residents have lived here for five years.  It also shows that the proportion of the population that have lived in for Thanet for less than two years was 1.2% of the population, that figure is 3.25% for Margate Central and 6.3% for Cliftonville West.  The picture that emerges is that there is a small area that is considerably more diverse than the rest of Thanet.  There is the 2011 census data for the parish of Ramsgate which was the final part of your question.  That data showed that 92.1% of Ramsgate residents were born in the UK, 94.8% of residents have lived here for more than five years, and 92.3% have lived here for more than ten years.  This suggests that Ramsgate has a lower migrant population than is average for Thanet, and the region is typical of the rest of the county.

I have a lot of information that we can share on a breakdown by nationality.”

Supplementary Question

Councillor Moores then asked Councillor Johnston a supplementary question:

“In the last couple of weeks we have heard that the 2011 census figures are unreliable, in fact the Office of National Statistics have said that rather more people have come in here, and I think the figure for the South East was something in the region of 127,000 people according to the ONS.

If the census figures are inaccurate then what are we going to do to get a feel for the true figures?”

Councillor Johnston’s response was as follows:

“I absolutely agree with you, in 1983/4 I wanted to look at the census to see how many babies were born because I was campaigning for nursery provision, and there was no way they had got the figures right. Schools were being built on the basis of the census figures, and we found when we built at the Holy Trinity School (at which I was a governor for 18 years) it was said we had a needless classroom.  Then suddenly when the children became four or five we needed the classroom. I’ve always had an issue with the census figures. But there are statistics, there is the data, there is all the information.  I think it is a snap shot in time, but I think from the point of view of planning for schools and nurseries, and everything else, we need to get these things right.  I get your point exactly.  I think that using the figures for political purposes coming up to an election is a bit silly, I stood with the midwives on the picket line the other day and I have to say that there was every nationality you could think of.  Where would we be without those women all over the world delivering our babies?”