§ 11. Dame Joan Vickersasked the Minister of Social Security how many women divorced or separated have been in receipt, of payment because their maintenance money is not being paid by their husbands, or is not sufficient to support 1090 them and their family, in the years 1964, 1965, and 1966; and what is the total expenditure.
§ Mr. LoughlinInformation is available for 1964 and 1965 only. As it consists of a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate the reply in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Dame Joan VickersAs many of these women cannot provide themselves with sufficient money without going to Social Security, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman to ask his right hon. Friend to amend the Maintenance Orders Act so that the amount of money originally granted by the court can be put up?
§ Mr. LoughlinDoes the hon. Lady mean increased?
§ Dame Joan VickersYes.
§ Mr. LoughlinI should like to look at that one and write to the hon. Lady about it.
§ Following is the information:
| SEPARATED AND DIVORCED WOMEN IN RECEIPT OF NATIONAL ASSISTANCE | |||
| Number (estimated) | Yearly rate of assistance expenditure (estimated) | ||
| 1964 | 1965 | 1964 | 1965 |
| 112,000 | 118,000 | £25,340,000 | £32,280,000 |
| Estimated total of payments received by former National Assistance Board | £2,340,000 | £2,700,000 | |
| Estimated net rate of expenditure | £23,000,000 | £29,580,000 |
§ Notes:
§ 1. Information based on a one-and-a-quarter per cent. sample taken in November of all National Assistance recipients. The estimated yearly rate of expenditure is arrived at by multiplying the weekly amount of assistance paid at the time of the inquiry by 52.
§ 2. A small number of divorced women who have illegitimate children are not included in the above figures.
§ 3. About 9,000 separated women had no title to maintenance payments (being e.g. the matrimonial offender).