ILR Tier 1 (G) - Q 7.11 - absences more than 6 months

[goldfish]

The Tier 1 (G) ILR application form section 6 asks for the date of entry for the period of stay on which the application is based, along with any absences. Later in the form, in Section 7 Personal History (criminal convictions, war crimes, etc) there is a question:
7.11. How long have you lived in the UK? Years Months
Please provide details of any periods of absence of more than 6 months during that time.
Date you left the UK Date you returned to the UK Reason for absence

Questions: Does this relate to my first entry into the UK, even if this was many years before the start of my relevant stay for ILR? Has anyone had questions raised in their PEO appointment about their absences?

My background: I first entered the UK in Sep 2005, lived here for a few years, had a long absence (approx 18 months), then returned to the UK. I had a UK visa continuously, including while I was away. I am basing my ILR application on my return date to the UK (after which I have not had any long absences) rather than the period before my long absence. I am intending to go to a PEO appointment and would like to know whether the 18 month absence - before my ILR period commenced - is likely to cause issues with same-day processing, based on the experience of others who have been in a similar situation.