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16 Nov 2005 : Column 1338W—continued

Winter Fuel Payments

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners (a) were eligible, (b) applied for and (c) have received winter fuel payments in each year since payments started, broken down by constituency in Northern Ireland. [28847]

Mr. Hanson: The information requested is shown in the following table. Information on winter fuel payment applications is unavailable.
Winter fuel payments (WFP) by parliamentary constituency 2000–01 to 2004–05—Awards made and eligible population

1992 parliamentary constituency	Eligible population (MYE 2000–01)	2000–01 Number of WFP received	Eligible population (MYE 2001–02)	2001–02 Number of WFP received
Belfast East	19,343	17,570	19,086	17,555
Belfast North	18,912	16,980	18,709	16,753
Belfast South	17,288	15,628	16,994	15,466
Belfast West	13,786	12,232	13,738	12,244
East Antrim	15,162	13,970	15,375	14,285
East Londonderry	14.914	13,195	15,289	13,611
Fermanagh and S Tyrone	16,321	13.124	16,456	13,499
Foyle	14,060	12,301	14,319	12,530
Lagan Valley	17,649	16,220	17,941	16,670
Mid Ulster	12,941	11,442	13.131	11,687
Newry and Armagh	16,176	14,302	16,353	14,594
North Antrim	19,061	17,289	19,378	17,757
North Down	18,331	16,669	18,547	16,959
South Antrim	15,822	14,368	16,241	14,881
South Down	17,097	15,205	17,360	15,555
Strangford	17,442	16,012	17,854	16,458
Upper Bann	17,091	15,506	17,416	15,839
West Tyrone	13,317	11,565	13,498	11,838
Total	294,713	263,578	297,685	268,181

1992 parliamentary constituency	Eligible population (MYE 2002–03)	2002–03 Number of WFP received	Eligible population (MYE 2003–04)	2003–04 Number of WFP received
Belfast East	19,011	17,555	18,964	17,593
Belfast North	18,654	16,648	18,528	16,725
Belfast South	16,929	15,478	16,911	15,540
Belfast West	13,820	12,387	13,920	12,601
East Antrim	15,713	14,728	16,097	15,234
East Londonderry	15,677	14,003	16,146	14,460
Fermanagh and S Tyrone	16,773	13,815	17,102	14,391
Foyle	14,623	12,858	14,966	13,313
Lagan Valley	18,218	17,138	18,636	17,737
Mid Ulster	13,449	11,989	13,808	12,423
Newry and Armagh	16,729	14,967	17,136	15,472
North Antrim	19,831	18,301	20,423	19,058
North Down	18,891	17,397	19,269	18,027
South Antrim	16,764	15,418	17,266	16,053
South Down	17,577	15,982	18,029	16,516
Strangford	18,301	16,964	18,861	17,701
Upper Bann	17,766	16,242	18,222	16,771
West Tyrone	13.778	12.156	14,084	12.478
Total	302,504	274,026	308,368	282,093

 
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1992 parliamentary constituency	Eligible population (MYE 2004–05)	2004–05 Number of WFP received
Belfast East	18,908	17,334
Belfast North	18,408	16,212
Belfast South	16,842	15,276
Belfast West	13,978	12,424
East Antrim	16,518	15,344
East Londonderry	16,588	14,566
Fermanagh and S Tyrone	17,459	14,464
Foyle	15,390	13,409
Lagan Valley	19,126	17,952
Mid Ulster	14,178	12,527
Newry and Armagh	17,576	15,623
North Antrim	21,030	19,257
North Down	19,833	18,288
South Antrim	17,799	16,347
South Down	18,509	16,758
Strangford	19,409	17,910
Upper Bann	18,639	16,833
West Tyrone	14,417	12.643
Total	314,607	283,167

Source:
Eligible population figures are taken from Mid year estimates (MYE) published on www.nisra.gov.uk. All individuals aged 60 and over

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

1911 Census

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 applications to see sections of the 1911 decennial census for England and Wales have been (a) received and (b) rejected by the National Archives since 1 January. [28026]

Ms Harman: From January 1 2005 to date The National Archives has recorded 143 requests, under the Freedom of Information Act, to see sections of the 1911 decennial census. In accordance with the Act and with Government policy, the National Archives considers each request for access to the 1911 returns on a case by case basis, in consultation with the Office for National Statistics as the transferring department. So far it has not been possible to grant any of these requests because they are covered by S.41 exemption of the Act relating to breach of confidence.

Coroners

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance her Department has issued to coroners on the means of establishing the identification of dead persons. [27602]

Ms Harman: The means of identification are a matter for the coroner's judgment and will depend on the individual circumstances. We have not issued specific guidance to coroners.

Mrs. Moon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance the Department has issued to coroners on making their reports available to doctors who request them; and if she will take steps to encourage coroners to make reports available when they are requested. [28725]

Ms Harman: Guidance was issued by the Home Office in the form of a circular, No 62/1994. This commended the recommendation of the Clothier Report into the Beverley Allitt murders that, in every case, coroners should send copies of post-mortem reports to any consultant who has been involved in the patient's care
 
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prior to death, whether or not demanded, under the coroners rules. Any decision in an individual case is a matter for the coroner concerned. My officials will, however, discuss this matter at the next of their regular meetings with coroners.

Courts Employee Pension Scheme

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what inquiries her Department has made into the collapse of the courts employee pension scheme; [27306]

(2)what representations have been made to her about the collapse of the courts employee pension scheme; [27307]

(3) what assessment she has made of the effects of the merger of the courts employee pension scheme with the courts directors pension scheme. [27308]

Ms Harman: The pension schemes for staff in this Department or in Her Majesty's Courts Service has not collapsed. Accordingly there have been no representations made.

There is a single pension scheme (the principal civil service pension scheme) in operation within this Department and its agencies including Her Majesty's Courts Service.

Electoral Administration Bill

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether Labour party officials had sight of the draft or final copy of the Electoral Administration Bill before it was placed in the public domain. [26172]

Ms Harman: I can confirm that no Labour party officials had sight of the draft or final copy of the Bill before it was introduced before Parliament.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of individual registration on registration levels in Northern Ireland. [20146]

 
16 Nov 2005 : Column 1341W
 

Mr. Hanson: I have been asked to reply.

Individual registration in Northern Ireland was introduced as part of the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 and has substantially enhanced the accuracy and integrity of the Electoral Register in Northern Ireland.

Since then, however, there has been an annual downward drift in numbers registering mainly due to the requirement to hold an annual canvass with individuals having to provide information afresh each year. To combat this, the Government, after consulting the political parties and the Electoral Commission, is introducing legislation that will further reform and modernise the electoral registration arrangements. These measures will lift the burden on electors and refocus resources on more effectively targeting those not registered.

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