HC Deb 12 March 1984 vol 56 cc65-6W
Mr. Wareing

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of households in the area covered by the Liverpool, West Derby constituency are single-parent families; and what is the proportion nationally and in Liverpool as a whole.

Mr. John Patten

The results from a 10 per cent. sample of census forms for the Liverpool, West Derby constituency show that in April 1981, 13.1 per cent. of households comprised a lone parent family with either non-dependent children only, or at least one dependent child. In Liverpool metropolitan county district, and in Great Britain as a whole 11.7 per cent. and 8.4 per cent. of households respectively comprised a lone parent family according to this definition.

No figures are available for the Liverpool, West Derby constituency showing the proportion of households comprising a lone parent family with at least one dependent child. However, according to this definition the figures for Liverpool metropolitan county district and Great Britain as a whole are 5–9 per cent. and 4.7 per cent. respectively.

The figures use the census definition of "family"; they do not therefore include unmarried mothers who are living with their own parents. Nor do they include the small number of lone parents in households which comprise two or more families.