To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals listed on (a) the postal vote and (b) the proxy vote permanent register obtained postal and proxy votes for each election since 1992. [8691]
The following is the information:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list by constituency the number of applications signed by individual doctors and the reason given for (a) postal votes and (b) proxy votes for the 1997 general election. [8693]
Records of absent vote applications are not currently stored in a way that would readily provide information on reasons for application and individual doctors attestations.The chief electoral officer has instituted a review of all absent vote applications for the last three elections in Northern Ireland and any relevant conclusions of the report may be published in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for (a) postal votes and (b) proxy votes have been refused for each election since 1992. [8692]
Until 1996, absent vote applications were dealt with by area offices and as a consequence no records are available for the numbers of applications refused in previous years. For the 1997 elections, a central absent voting unit was established.Significant numbers of applications were received in good time, but were incomplete and had to be returned to the applicant. In such cases, each applicant received a letter of explanation and was invited to resubmit their correctly completed form. However, large numbers of applications were received in the last hours before cut-off time for receipt of applications and, in these circumstances, it was not possible to return incomplete applications to applicants.
| Parliamentary election—1 May 1997 | |
| Reason | Number |
| Applicant not registered elector | 320 |
| Received too late | 300 |
| Insufficient or no reason | 162 |
| Dual/treble attestation | 126 |
| Not attested or not properly attested | 145 |
| Not signed | 66 |
| Medical reason, non-physical illness | 98 |
| Medical (not properly completed) | 64 |
| Proxy information not completed | 9 |
| Letters returned by Post Office | 5 |
| Signature not accepted | 3 |
| Too late, received after "late" closing date | 3 |
| No date of election given | 2 |
| Miscellaneous | 115 |
| Total | 1,418 |
| Local Government election—21 May 1997 | |
| Reason | Number |
| Applicant not registered elector | 275 |
| Received too late | 398 |
| No reason given | 69 |
| Insufficient information | 88 |
| Not attested | 128 |
| Dual/treble attestation | 112 |
| Not signed | 121 |
| Medical Non-physical illness | 69 |
| Miscellaneous | 232 |
| Total | 1,492 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list, by constituency, the number of individuals listed on the permanent list for (a) postal votes and (b) proxy votes. [8690]
The information is as follows:
| Permanent absent voters by constituency (as at 18 July 1997) | |||
| Constituency | Proxy | Postal | Total |
| Belfast East | 114 | 572 | 686 |
| Belfast North | 101 | 572 | 673 |
| Belfast South | 98 | 531 | 629 |
| Belfast West | 80 | 430 | 510 |
| East Antrim | 189 | 372 | 561 |
| East Londonderry | 46 | 1,254 | 1,300 |
| Fermanagh and South Tyrone | 293 | 3,270 | 3,563 |
| Foyle | 116 | 993 | 1,109 |
| Lagan Valley | 118 | 916 | 1.034 |
| Mid Ulster | 77 | 2,529 | 2,606 |
| North Antrim | 123 | 760 | 883 |
| North Down | 150 | 554 | 704 |
| Newry and Armagh | 77 | 1,656 | 1,733 |
| South Antrim | 180 | 450 | 630 |
| South Down | 264 | 1,909 | 2,173 |
| Strangford | 136 | 705 | 841 |
| Upper Bann | 75 | 1,101 | 1,176 |
| West Tyrone | 253 | 2,087 | 2,340 |
| Total | 2,490 | 20,661 | 23,151 |