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18 Nov 2008 : Column 441W—continued

Pensioners

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners there were in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [231420]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The available information is in the table.

18 Nov 2008 : Column 442W

18 Nov 2008 : Column 443W

18 Nov 2008 : Column 444W

	Number of pensioners
Jarrow parliamentary constituency
November 1999	16,000
May 2000	15,900
November 2000	16,100
May 2001	15,700
November 2001	16,000
May 2002	16,220
August 2002	16,210
November 2002	16,240
February 2003	16,230
May 2003	16,250
August 2003	16,310
November 2003	16,300
February 2004	16,270
May 2004	16,320
August 2004	16,350
November 2004	16,360
February 2005	16,310
May 2005	16,290
August 2005	16,300
November 2005	16,340
February 2006	16,320
May 2006	16,290
August 2006	16,370
November 2006	16,390
February 2007	16,420
May 2007	16,500
August 2007	16,580
November 2007	16,650
February 2008	16,660
South Tyneside local authority
November 1999	31,000
May 2000	30,800
November 2000	31,100
May 2001	30,500
November 2001	30,700
May 2002	30,800
August 2002	30,750
November 2002	30,710
February 2003	30,640
May 2003	30,650
August 2003	30,710
November 2003	30,600
February 2004	30,510
May 2004	30,560
August 2004	30,590
November 2004	30,600
February 2005	30,530
May 2005	30,470
August 2005	30,470
November 2005	30,520
February 2006	30,460
May 2006	30,430
August 2006	30,440
November 2006	30,500
February 2007	30,500
May 2007	30,550
August 2007	30,650
November 2007	30,500
February 2008	30,750
North-east Government office region
November 1999	480,200
May 2000	481,800
November 2000	484,100
May 2001	483,100
November 2001	485,200
May 2002	478,290
August 2002	478,950
November 2002	479,770
February 2003	479,510
May 2003	480,890
August 2003	482,190
November 2003	482,780
February 2004	482,510
May 2004	484,400
August 2004	485,930
November 2004	487,330
February 2005	487,300
May 2005	487,940
August 2005	488,890
November 2005	489,420
February 2006	489,280
May 2006	489,970
August 2006	491,770
November 2006	493,450
February 2007	494,820
May 2007	496,960
August 2007	499,860
November 2007	501,510
February 2008	502,370
Great Britain
November 1999	10,338,400
May 2000	10,337,800
November 2000	10,366,900
May 2001	10,388,200
November 2001	10,441,900
May 2002	11,353,500
August 2002	11,383,960
November 2002	11,414,630
February 2003	11,430,790
May 2003	11,473,090
August 2003	11,515,970
November 2003	11,544,620
February 2004	11,557,870
May 2004	11,620,150
August 2004	11,668,110
November 2004	11,710,580
February 2005	11,726,470
May 2005	11,760,740
August 2005	11,786,580
November 2005	11,804,430
February 2006	11,817,230
May 2006	11,847,970
August 2006	11,896,500
November 2006	11,949,620
February 2007	11,992,450
May 2007	12,053,770
August 2007	12,127,160
November 2007	12,182,270
February 2008	12,216,390
Notes: 1. Figures for November 1999 to November 2001 are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Figures for May 2002 to February 2008 are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has been applied. 3. There is no geographical information until November 1999. 4. For more recent years data exist for both benefit claimed by pensioners and for the pensioners client group from both sample and 100 per cent. data. Figures produced from sample data may differ from those produced from 100 per cent. data due to sample variation. A table of expected variation can be found here http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/state_pension/rp302.pdf (table A1). An additional source of variation is that the WPLS data takes more account of retrospection (ie late changes to the data). The WPLS data are the preferred source to answer queries, however in cases where the required information is unavailable on WPLS data then sample data are used. Sources: 1. November 1999 to November 2001—DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample 2. May 2002 to February 2008—DWP Work and Pension Longitudinal Study

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