§ Mr. William Wilsonasked the Attorney-General how many men and 293W how many women, between 1st January, 1971 and 31st December, 1971, petitioned for dissolution of marriage on the grounds that the marriage had irretrievably broken down following five years separation.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe figures for the whole of England and Wales are not yet available, but in 1971 5,405 petitions were filed in London alleging five years' separation as a fact from which breakdown of marriage was to be inferred. 3,159 of these petitions were filed by husbands and 2,246 by wives.