Coroners

Justine Greening
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many coroners there were in England and Wales in each year since 2001, broken down by district; and if she will make a statement.

Ms Harman
The number of coroners in England and Wales at the end of each year since 2001 was as follows:

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|    |Number|
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|2001|132   |
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|2002|129   |
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|2003|127   |
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|2004|120   |
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|2005|120   |
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|2006|117   |
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The list of individual coroners’ districts existing at 31 December each year since 2001 has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Justine Greening
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the percentage of coroners’ inquests which are attended by a pathologist; and if she will make a statement.

Ms Harman
In 2005—the latest year for which information is available—a post mortem examination was conducted in 94 per cent. of cases where an inquest was held. The information we collect from coroners each year does not distinguish between those inquests where a pathologist was present to give evidence in person and those where the pathologist presented his evidence by means of a written witness statement.