§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the latest available estimates of those aged 17 years and over, plus 63 per cent. of those aged 16 years, for each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland together, in each case, with the equivalent electoral registration figures expressed as a percentage of these figures. [47711]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyMid-year estimates of the population of Northern Ireland broken down by age are available for Health Board areas only. Consequently, the population counts for parliamentary constituencies shown in the tables are taken from the 1991 Census of Population.
Northern Ireland parliamentary constituency boundaries were redrawn in 1996. Table 1 details the population aged 17 and over plus 63 per cent. of the 16 year old population at the time of the 1991 Census of Population in each of the current parliamentary constituencies. Table 2 details the most up-to-date information on their respective electorates. Information on the number of registered voters in each constituency prior to 1996 is not available. 226W Therefore, because the two sets of data shown here relate to different time points, it is not appropriate to determine the ratio of the number of registered voters to the population count.
Table 1: Post-1996 parliamentary constituencies, ordered by population Parliamentary constituency (post-1996) 1991 census population aged 17 and over plus 63 per cent. of population aged 16 years Mid Ulster 55,895 East Antrim 56,103 West Tyrone 57,160 East Londonderry 58,609 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 61,566 Belfast West 61,647 North Down 61,846 Belfast East 64,638 Strangford 64,641 Foyle 64,643 Newry and Armagh 68,014 South Down 68,368 Upper Bann 68,424 Belfast North 68,542 South Antrim 68,570 Belfast South 69,110 Lagan Valley 69,787 North Antrim 71,097 Northern Ireland 1,158,660
Table 2: Post-1996 parliamentary constituencies, ordered by number of electors Parliamentary constituency (post-1996) 1998 registered electors West Tyrone 59,709 East Antrim 59,721 East Londonderry 59,843 Mid Ulster 60,657 Belfast East 60,852 Belfast West 61,079 Belfast South 61,404 Belfast North 62,933 North Down 63,349 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 65,996 Foyle 69,533 South Antrim 69,971 Upper Bann 71,369 Strangford 71,395 South Down 71,726 Lagan Valley 72,205 Newry and Armagh 72,351 North Antrim 73,941 Northern Ireland 1,188,034