§ Mr. William Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number of 351W local government electors in Northern Ireland who hold an allowance or pension book or books, which is acceptable as proof of identity for the purpose of exercising the franchise on 15 May.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 3 May 1985, c. 268]: The numbers of those receiving benefits, pensions or allowances in Northern Ireland by means of pension or allowance order books which are specified documents within the terms of the Local Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 were as follows on the dates shown:
Benefit etc. Number of Recipients Date Invalidity Benefit 24,032 30 April 1985 Severe Disablement Allowance 9,850 30 April 1985 Attendance Allowance †20,000 3 January 1985 Invalid Care Allowance 697 21 February 1985 Maternity Allowance 4,890 31 March 1985 Mobility Allowance 7,284 31 March 1985 Disablement Pension †8,000 19 February 1985 Industrial Death Benefit 879 19 February 1985 Supplementary Benefit* †23,000 12 February 1985 Retirement Pension 185,086 31 March 1985 Widow's Benefit 12,623 31 March 1985 Child Benefit 205,666 29 March 1985 * Supplementary Benefit recipients not receiving a main National Insurance benefit or pension. † Approximate. Apart from those for retirement pensions, the figures above include a number of people aged under 18. Many child benefit allowance books, however, carry the names of both parents and may therefore be used as a specified document by a substantial number of people in addition to the figure given for recipients of child benefit.
In some cases one person may receive more than one of the above pensions, benefits or allowances. Some recipients will not be on the Northern Ireland electoral register for local electors. Nonetheless, given that only 1,491 of the recipients of retirement pension, or their spouses, and only 3,718 of those receiving widows' benefit also receive child benefit, it is reasonable to estimate that at least 400,000 people possess some form of allowance book which is a specified document in terms of the order.
Subject investigated Chairman Date appointed Date reported Chain of Command: The Open Structure Sir Geoffrey Wardale 1981 1981. ISBN 0 7115 0038 Civil Service Pay Rt. Hon. Sir John Megaw 1981 July 1982. Cmnd. 8590 Selection of Fast Stream Graduate Entrants to the Home Civil Service, the Diplomatic Service and the Tax Inspectorate and of candidates from within the Service Sir Alec Atkinson 1982 February 1983. ISBN 0 7115 00533 Information for the earlier period is not held centrally and it would be disproportionately costly to draw up a comprehensive list.