Migration figures failure causes councils to flounder

3.20.18pm GMT Fri 23rd May 2008

Commenting on today's Treasury Committee report, which criticises the existing methods for estimating international and internal migration, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"This report makes it painfully clear that ministers have totally lost track of something as fundamental as how many people actually live in Britain.

"The Government's statistical incompetence has left councils floundering when they try to plan public services for local people.

"Not only do internal and international migration estimates need to be improved as a matter of urgency, but the Government must also reintroduce exit checks immediately so that we know when people overstay their visas."