§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Prime Minister if the comments made by the Secretary of State for Wales on 10 January, with regard to one-parent families, reflect Government policy; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 17 January 1994]: My right hon. Friend was correct in saying that the single parent issue is important to the Government. The growth in single parent families inevitably has an impact on Government policies. For example, rates of pregnancy among 13 to 15-year-old girls have risen substantially in recent years, which is why my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has adopted a target of a minimum reduction of 50 per cent. on the 1989 rates by 2000. Similarly, the Child Support Agency was established because of concern about absent fathers and support for children in single parent families.