YORK MP Hugh Bayley can boast one of the most impressive voting records in Parliament, according to official statistics.

Research by the House of Commons Library has revealed he took part in almost nine out of every ten "divisions" in the 2000-01 session - despite being a junior Minister at the time.

The guide which accompanies the statistics warns that MPs with ministerial jobs may have found it difficult to vote. And a number of Mr Bayley's colleagues in the Labour Government attended fewer than 50 per cent of votes.

But the MP, who lost his Social Security job in the post-election re-shuffle, had a voting record of 86 per cent. This placed him 34th in the league table of 659 MPs published by the House of Commons Library.

Lawrie Quinn, Labour MP for Scarborough and Whitby, was ranked 165th after

taking part in 73 per cent of votes.

Vale of York Conservative MP Anne McIntosh took part in 70 per cent of votes, ranking her 205th.

Selby Labour MP John Grogan, meanwhile, attended 68 per cent of divisions, placing him 240th on the list.

Harrogate Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis, the party's education spokesman, was ranked 272nd after taking part in 66 per cent of all votes.

Ryedale MP John Greenway, a Tory spokesman on sport and tourism, took part in 59 per cent of divisions - placing him 375th on the list.

Updated: 09:52 Saturday, September 01, 2001