Britain Examines Her Population

Chronicle (Levin), 17 June 1949, Page 5

Britain Examines Her Population

LONDON, June 16. The British Government regards as of supreme importance' the report of the Population Commission, which will be published shortly. The commission has been at work since 1944. It has produeed a report of more than 100,000 words and makes recommendati9ns .9^1 population stimulatioiF which would cost about '£200,000,000 ' yearly to implement. ~ Concern is expressed .over the diminntion of family units in the tniddle incomo groups and consequent threat to the general standard of na^onal intelligence. " 1 d. 3 . . A' Government spokesman said. the report traces a-,picture of the population in Avage groups as it is likely to be in the next 30 to 50 years. It makes suggestions aimed at the maintenance of family s.izes in the middle wage group and on ' methods of enconfagement :in these groups tc^u prevent a general lowering of intelligence throughout. the country. The report, he said, examines ' the effect of heavy migration from Britain and in turn the the effect of this 011 Western civilisation as a whole. It discloses Britain 's worldng potential at various stages, having relation to the gaps left in •families and family sizes as a result of two world wars and of the Oconomic conditions following them. It recommends that the Government shoulcl make itself responsible for -a substantial and widely spread educational campaign on fariiily raising, birth control and the use of contraceptives, For the encouragement of families in the middle income groups, the commission sug-1 gests substantial increasesv in family allowances and- other a'menities. The spokesman said there was not -much hope' that the Government would be able to adopt these proposals b'ut it was clear that no Government and no Chancellor nfExchequer could anrive at any policy for years to come with out taking into account the findings of the commissjon.