Treffie
02-27-2012, 12:12 PM
Wales must adapt to a rapidly ageing population and funding pressures on services as the number of people coming into the country from elsewhere in the UK increased six-fold in the last two years.
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icwales2/feb2012/2/6/in-a-year-3-000-more-people-have-come-into-wales-almost-entirely-from-england-than-have-left-828620631.jpg
Migration figures released by the Welsh Government yesterday indicated that around 3,000 more people were coming into Wales – almost entirely from England – than were leaving.
Older people’s charity Age Cymru warned that the country would have to adapt its system to cater for a “rapidly ageing” population, which was being fuelled by a trend of older people moving from England to Wales to retire, while the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) warned it would increase pressure on public service funding.
The statistics – based on the 12 months up to June 2011 – revealed that around 50,800 people had moved to Wales from the rest of the UK, with 48,940 of those coming from England, the bulk of which came from the North West and the West Midlands.
By contrast, 47,800 left Wales for elsewhere in the UK, with 45,800 going to England, 20.6% of which headed for the South West.
The net migration figure of 3,000 is higher than the previous year (1,900) and up to June 2009 (560), meaning a six-fold increase.
Iwan Rhys Roberts, spokesman for Age Cymru, said that Welsh Government statistics had shown that Wales had to “get to grips” with its changing demographics.
“We have an ageing population, which everyone knows about,” he said.
“These figures remind us of the situation we are facing in Wales and the rest of the UK, although it is ageing far more rapidly here.
“One in four adults in Wales is aged 65 or over at the moment, but in 20 years time one in three adults in Wales will be aged 65 or over. We need to change and adapt for the needs of our future population and government policy and society’s attitudes need to be geared up to meet these changes.”
He added that the Welsh population was ageing more rapidly than the rest of the UK, with the intensity of the rise in Wales down to an increase in inward migration.
Steve Thomas, chief executive of the WLGA, said that net migration reflected that Wales was an attractive place to live, but highlighted the pressures on public services that would accompany the swelling of numbers.
“There’s something around the welfare reforms in England that may be fuelling this,” he said.
“Proposed housing benefit reforms, for example, will affect thousands more families in England than it might in Wales.
“And the impact on us will be in services – we have a declining base in public expenditure and, at the same time, the population grows which impacts on schools, social care and waste services, as well as further afield.
“Migration is a good thing in terms of bringing in new talent – but there is a service impact and cost to accompany it.”
He said that the age profile of a number of Welsh council areas, such as Conwy and Pembrokeshire, were changing “markedly”, which had resulted in some areas being put under greater strain than others.
He added: “These are desirable places for people to retire and live.
“But clearly in terms of local authority services it brings its own problems, and that’s something that strategic planners will have to look at.”
Link (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/02/24/rapidly-ageing-population-as-retired-english-move-to-wales-91466-30395530/)
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icwales2/feb2012/2/6/in-a-year-3-000-more-people-have-come-into-wales-almost-entirely-from-england-than-have-left-828620631.jpg
Migration figures released by the Welsh Government yesterday indicated that around 3,000 more people were coming into Wales – almost entirely from England – than were leaving.
Older people’s charity Age Cymru warned that the country would have to adapt its system to cater for a “rapidly ageing” population, which was being fuelled by a trend of older people moving from England to Wales to retire, while the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) warned it would increase pressure on public service funding.
The statistics – based on the 12 months up to June 2011 – revealed that around 50,800 people had moved to Wales from the rest of the UK, with 48,940 of those coming from England, the bulk of which came from the North West and the West Midlands.
By contrast, 47,800 left Wales for elsewhere in the UK, with 45,800 going to England, 20.6% of which headed for the South West.
The net migration figure of 3,000 is higher than the previous year (1,900) and up to June 2009 (560), meaning a six-fold increase.
Iwan Rhys Roberts, spokesman for Age Cymru, said that Welsh Government statistics had shown that Wales had to “get to grips” with its changing demographics.
“We have an ageing population, which everyone knows about,” he said.
“These figures remind us of the situation we are facing in Wales and the rest of the UK, although it is ageing far more rapidly here.
“One in four adults in Wales is aged 65 or over at the moment, but in 20 years time one in three adults in Wales will be aged 65 or over. We need to change and adapt for the needs of our future population and government policy and society’s attitudes need to be geared up to meet these changes.”
He added that the Welsh population was ageing more rapidly than the rest of the UK, with the intensity of the rise in Wales down to an increase in inward migration.
Steve Thomas, chief executive of the WLGA, said that net migration reflected that Wales was an attractive place to live, but highlighted the pressures on public services that would accompany the swelling of numbers.
“There’s something around the welfare reforms in England that may be fuelling this,” he said.
“Proposed housing benefit reforms, for example, will affect thousands more families in England than it might in Wales.
“And the impact on us will be in services – we have a declining base in public expenditure and, at the same time, the population grows which impacts on schools, social care and waste services, as well as further afield.
“Migration is a good thing in terms of bringing in new talent – but there is a service impact and cost to accompany it.”
He said that the age profile of a number of Welsh council areas, such as Conwy and Pembrokeshire, were changing “markedly”, which had resulted in some areas being put under greater strain than others.
He added: “These are desirable places for people to retire and live.
“But clearly in terms of local authority services it brings its own problems, and that’s something that strategic planners will have to look at.”
Link (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/02/24/rapidly-ageing-population-as-retired-english-move-to-wales-91466-30395530/)