HC Deb 05 February 1996 vol 271 c52W
Mr. Chisholm

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 23 January,Official Report, column 213, if he will list the specific evidence evaluated by his Department which supported his conclusion concerning the relative costs of bringing up children by lone parents and by couples. [13398]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 January,Official Report, columns 745–46.

There is a wide range of research on the costs of a child. There is no consistent evidence of a difference in these costs for lone parents and couples, other than a potentially greater need for child care for working lone parents.