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<p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics
Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p><p> </p><p>Dear Lord Hodgson,</p><p>As
National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying
to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the difference
between (1) the number of National Insurance numbers issued to non-UK nationals, and
(2) total immigration to the UK in the last five years<strong> (HL12534)</strong>.</p><p>The
Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes migration statistics and in 2016, looked
at the differences between long term international migration (LTIM) figures and the
allocation of national insurance numbers (NINos) to EU nationals and published papers
about their findings[1]and the next steps[2].</p><p>The LTIM estimates produced by
ONS are in line with the United Nations definition of a long-term migrant; intending
to stay for at least 12 months. NINos are issued to people who come to the UK to work
or look for work, regardless of the length of stay. NINos may therefore include short-term
migrants (those entering the UK for less than 12 months) who will not be included
in LTIM estimates. LTIM estimates will include people (such as students) who come
to the UK for reasons other than work and don’t register for a NINo, so are not included
in NINo data.</p><p>Further publications about improving the evidence[3] and the migration
statistics transformation programme[4] include further information about how ONS is
developing the evidence base on migration. Understanding the differences between data
sources is an important part of our analysis within that programme and ONS will report
further in due course.</p><p>Yours sincerely,</p><p><strong>John Pullinger</strong></p><p>[1]<a
href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/methodologies/differencesbetweeninternationalpassengersurveyandnationalinsurancenumberstatisticsasshowninthemigrationstatisticsquarterlyreport"
target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/methodologies/differencesbetweeninternationalpassengersurveyandnationalinsurancenumberstatisticsasshowninthemigrationstatisticsquarterlyreport</a></p><p>[2]<a
href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/noteonthedifferencebetweennationalinsurancenumberregistrationsandtheestimateoflongterminternationalmigration/2016"
target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/noteonthedifferencebetweennationalinsurancenumberregistrationsandtheestimateoflongterminternationalmigration/2016</a></p><p>[3]<a
href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/internationalmigrationdataandanalysisimprovingtheevidence/february2017"
target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/internationalmigrationdataandanalysisimprovingtheevidence/february2017</a></p><p>[4]<a
href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/migrationstatisticstransformationupdate/2018-05-24"
target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/migrationstatisticstransformationupdate/2018-05-24</a></p><p>
</p><p> </p>
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