(2) what the average rate of voter registration is in the 100 (a) least and (b) most deprived wards; what assessment he has made of the effects of individual voter registration on the rate of registration in such wards; and if he will make a statement.
The Government have not made any estimate of the number of people eligible but not registered to vote in each of the last 11 years, as such information is not available for all of that period. However, the Electoral Commission estimated that 3.5 million eligible electors were not registered to vote in its report ‘Understanding Electoral Registration’, which was published in 2005.
It is not known what the average rate of voter registration is in the 100 (a) least and (b) most deprived wards as this information is not collected, but we are aware that any new system of electoral registration in Great Britain would need to be tailored to current circumstances, and in particular would need to address the challenge of under-registration.
The Government are committed to the principle of individual registration. But this will be a far-reaching reform, and it will need to be undertaken with great care—both to make sure a new system is robust, and to ensure that it properly tackles the problem of under-registration.
Our vision for electoral registration is clear: we want to protect the rights of every eligible person to participate in the United Kingdom's democratic process by ensuring complete, accurate and secure electoral registration.
(2) what the change in level of voter registration among eligible people has been in those 50 (a) constituencies and (b) local authority wards with the lowest level of voter registration in 2001 since that date, ranked in descending order by magnitude of change.
I have been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 June 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your questions asking how many and what proportion of those eligible were registered to vote in each ward in Denbighshire in each of the last 11 years (211367) and what the change in level of voter registration among eligible people has been in those 50 (a) constituencies and (b) local authority wards with the lowest level of voter registration in 2001 since that date, ranked in descending order by magnitude of change. (211464).
Figures for the Parliamentary electorate for each ward in Denbighshire from 1996 to 2007 are provided in Tables la and 1b.
ONS does not hold data for the population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections, which includes British Citizens resident overseas and excludes foreign citizens (from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland) resident within the England and Wales.
1996 1997 1998 Denbighshire Countyl 71,658 70,665 70,084 Bodelwyddan 1,312 1,378 1,402 Corwen 1,805 1,807 1,795 Denbigh Central 1,365 1,384 1,329 Denbigh Lower 3,118 3,162 3,187 Denbigh Upper/Henllan 2,524 2,536 2,467 Dyserth 1,881 1,898 1,846 Efenechtyd 973 965 988 Llanarmon-yn-Ial/Llandegla 1,989 2,021 2,034 Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd 1,123 1,095 1,085 Llandrillo 849 882 894 Llandyrnog 967 969 976 Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd/Gwyddelwern 1,764 1,783 1,794 Llangollen 2,657 3,056 3,059 Llangollen Rural 1,861 0 0 Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch 1,110 1,138 1,116 Llanynys 892 901 902 Meliden 1,564 1,567 1,553 Prestatyn Central 2,692 2,715 2,681 Prestatyn East 3,028 3,045 3,010 Prestatyn North 4,104 4,106 4,114 Prestatyn South West 2,626 2,608 2,551 Rhuddlan 3,116 3,179 3,210 Rhyl East 3,668 3,768 3,677 Rhyl South 3,014 2,997 3,002 Rhyl South East 4,987 5,039 4,989 Rhyl South West 3,734 3,726 3,699 Rhyl West 3,549 3,602 3,428 Ruth in 4,115 4,111 4,069 St.Asaph East 1,314 1,303 1,307 St.Asaph West 1,290 1,270 1,248 Trefnant 1,482 1,488 1,489 Tremeirchion 1,185 1,166 1,183 1. As created by The County of Denbighshire Electoral Arrangements Order 1994 and as altered by The Denbighshire and Wrexham (Areas) Order 1996 Source: Office for National Statistics
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Denbighshire county1 68,882 67,802 68,422 68,93 66,371 67,925 70,014 71,094 66,516 Bodelwyddan 1,397 1,335 1,410 1,417 1,387 1,391 1,415 1,523 1,540 Corwen 1,738 1,696 1,768 1,774 1,699 1,702 1,762 1,807 1,860 Denbigh Central 1,309 1,275 1,299 1,262 1,164 1,301 1,310 1,310 1,348 Denbigh Lower 3,140 3,162 3,108 3,201 3,211 3,231 3,325 3,373 3,407 Denbigh Upper/Henllan 2,489 2,431 2,420 2,385 2,275 2,368 2,376 2,416 2,499 Dyserth2 1,848 1,809 1,894 1,902 1,741 1,766 1,815 1,867 1,931 Efenechtyd 1,242 1,222 1,221 1,231 1,231 1,209 1,227 1,236 0 Llanarmon-yn-Ial/Llandegla 1,776 1,771 1,758 1,777 1,768 1,794 1,847 1,857 0 Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd/Llangynhafal 1,125 1,128 1,170 1,168 1,123 1,119 1,144 1,156 1,172 Llandrillo 886 864 868 877 864 875 907 922 945 Llandyrnog 1,551 1,490 1,546 1,539 1,560 1,572 1,606 1,619 0 Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd/Gwyddelwern 1,750 1,709 1,713 1,749 1,748 1,731 1,772 1,798 0 Llangollen 2,981 2,896 2,803 2,949 2,956 2,993 3,047 3,114 3,207 Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch 1,452 1,431 1,453 1,462 1,410 1,443 1,472 1,478 1,518 Prestatyn Central 2,685 2,635 2,670 2,659 2,550 2,598 2,664 2,666 2,759 Prestatyn East 2,983 2,937 3,001 3,013 2,883 2,881 3,006 3,073 3,173 Prestatyn Meliden 1,544 1,451 1,498 1,507 1,444 1,481 1,518 1,538 1,560 Prestatyn North 3,955 3,980 3,988 4,004 3,896 4,141 4,408 4,495 4,655 Prestatyn South West2 2,489 2,493 2,518 2,481 2,502 2,556 2,638 2,625 2,735 Rhuddlan2 3,130 3,127 3,156 3,202 2,679 2,724 2,760 2,808 2,916 Rhyl East 3,578 3,502 3,590 3,595 3,486 3,552 3,620 3,735 3,737 Rhyl South2 3,013 3,030 2,996 2,995 2,895 2,943 3,005 3,013 3,082 Rhyl South East2 4,963 4,880 5,094 5,192 5,208 5,511 5,672 5,707 5,915 Rhyl South West 3,708 3,662 3,664 3,607 3,205 3,433 3,534 3,567 3,573 Rhyl West 3,078 3,000 2,750 2,761 2,464 2,457 2,777 2,960 3,317 Ruthin 4,068 3,974 3,988 3,957 3,935 4,001 4,062 4,082 4,190 St. Asaph East 1,301 1,295 1,320 1,329 1,313 1,319 1,320 1,323 1,369 St Asaph West 1,153 1,116 1,201 1,178 1,155 1,179 1,282 1,288 1,322 Trefnant 1,402 1,375 1,409 1,444 1,420 1,440 1,486 1,502 1,524 Tremeirchion 1,148 1,126 1,148 1,176 1,199 1,214 1,237 1,236 1,262 1 As created by The County of Denbighshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1998. 2. 2003 electorate as amended by the Dyserth, Prestatyn, Rhuddlan, Rhyl Communities Order 2003. Source: Office for National Statistics.