To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers were in existence in Cambridgeshire and in the UK in each of the last 10 tax years.

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers were in existence in (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 tax years. [156442]

Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 8 October 2007]: Information regarding the number of national insurance numbers in issue in Cambridgeshire is not available.

The available information regarding the number of national insurance numbers in issue in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years is in the following table. This information is not available by tax year.

Total approximate number of national insurance numbers in issue at 31 December in each year between 1997 and 2006
	National insurance numbers in issue (million)
1997	66
1998	67
1999	68
2000	69
2001	70
2002	71
2003	72
2004	73
2005	76
2006	77
Notes: 1. In order to maintain the integrity of the system NINOs are not removed. For example, they are retained after a person dies or moves abroad. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1 million.

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