Calls for population control in the UK

Briefing: the Optimum Population Trust, like the National Secular Society, is almost clownish in its persistent flogging of its pet issues, even when the debate in the real world has moved on. The disasterous social effects of China's 'one-child' policy are increasingly hard to deny - China leads the world in suicides of young women, for example - and it is falling populations which are causing political concerns in Europe. The 'environmental impact' OPT is concerned about is presumably the housebuilding going on in the South East of England, which stems not from an increasing population, but the concentration of population in one part of the country, and the increase in the number of households. The latter is directly attributable to the attack on the family: soaring divorce rates and unwillingness of young people to marry. It is a standing joke, however, that the 'optimum' population the OPT would like to see is actually '0': they simply don't like human beings.

From SPUC: A recent population report has claimed that the UK needs a two-child policy similar to the one-child policy in China. The Optimum Population Trust has pointed out that Britain's rising birth rate has resulted in detrimental effects on the environment. A statement from the report says: "A voluntary stop-at-two guideline should be adopted for couples in the UK who want to adopt greener lifestyles. It would aim to set an example." John
Guillebaud, professor of family planning and reproductive health at University College, London, and author of the report, added: "A voluntary 'two-child' population policy in Iran, for example, succeeded in halving fertility in eight years, as fast a rate of decrease as that of China,
whose much-criticised one-child policy began in 1980." He claims to foresee a time when it may be necessary to put compulsory limits on births as more pressure is put on world resources. "Those who continue to place obstacles in the way of women who want to control their fertility will have only themselves to blame, as more and more regimes bring in coercive
measures," he predicted. [Guardian, 11 July]