Request
I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
Please can you update me on the ONS’s progress in producing disaggregated migration figures as referenced by David Willetts’ during this speech in September: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uuk-conference-a-world-without-boundaries
How many discussions/meetings have taken place between the ONS and Mr Willetts’ office and/or the Home Office and/or the UKBA on producing such figures, and when?
If minutes of these exist, please provide available copies.
When are the next discussions/meetings on the subject scheduled for?
When is the target release date for this disaggregated data?
Response
In response to your FOI request please find below the information that you have requested along with minutes/notes of the relevant meetings.
Progress in producing disaggregated migration figures:
Long Term International Migration (LTIM) estimates are largely based on results from the International Passenger Survey (IPS), which is a large scale survey carried out at ports across the UK. The IPS is the main source of information about migrants, including their main reason for migrating to the UK. In 2009, study overtook work-related reasons as the main single reason provided by immigrants to the UK. The increase in estimates of migrants arriving to study in the UK caused considerable interest in terms of how long they were staying and whether they left the UK at the end of their courses. Unfortunately, at that time the IPS did not collect data on why an emigrant originally migrated to the UK more than a year previously, so data were unavailable on how many emigrants had previously migrated to the UK to study.
In January 2012, new questions were added to the IPS that ask an emigrant's original reason for migrating to the UK, if they were previously an immigrant. The first six months' data are currently being analysed by ONS and new provisional tables detailing emigration by original reason for migration are planned for publication on 29 August 2013. These new data will be published as an addition to the current tables that are published quarterly (provisional data) or annually (final data).
Discussions/meetings which have taken place between the ONS and Mr Willetts' office and/or the Home Office and/or the UKBA on producing such figures:
There have been no formal discussions between ONS and Mr Willett's office regarding these changes. However the changes to the IPS have been discussed in several meetings attended by officials of the Home Office and BIS and there was an informal discussion between Home Office officials and ONS prior to the Migration Statistics User Forum on 28 March 2011. The relevant meetings are the Migration Reporting Working Group and the Migration Statistics User Forum. Copies of minutes have been included below.
When are the next discussions / meetings on the subject:
There are no planned discussions or meetings specifically on this subject, but an update from ONS on the proposed additional data will be provided at the next Migration Reporting Working Group, due to take place on 12 March 2013. Representatives from the Home Office and Business, Innovation and Skills have been invited.
When is the target release date for this disaggregated data:
These data will be accessible via the Migration Quarterly Report due for publication on 29 August 2013.
