To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are involved in making population forecasts in (a) the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys, (b) the Department of the Environment, (c) elsewhere in public departments and (d) in county authorities.

Six people are employed in a unit at the OPCS the main task of which is preparing, publishing, and disseminating population projections.Four people in the Department of Environment spend part of their time working on the migration element of subnational population projections, including consultation with local authorities. In total, less than one person a year is spent in this activity each year.In the Government Actuary's Department three people are involved in making population projections. Information is not held centrally for people involved elsewhere in public departments or in county authorities and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.