One-Parent Families (Hansard, 10 February 1976)

§ Mrs. Chalker
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list in the Official Report the latest available information on the number of single-parent families in full-time work; and if she will estimate the numbers who are above and below the tax threshold and the numbers in each group who are claiming FIS.

§ Mr. O'Malley
On the basis of the 1974 Family Expenditure Survey it is estimated that at December 1974 there were 220,000 single-parent families in full-time employment; of these approximately 20,000^* had incomes below the tax threshold and 200,000 had incomes above.
At December 1974 there were 38,000 single-parent families in receipt of FIS; as these awards were based on income up to some 12 months previously it is not possible to estimate how many had incomes at that time above or below the tax threshold.
^* The figure of 20,000 is subject to considerable sampling error.

§ Mr. Lomas
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list in the Official Report those parts of the Finer Report which she has now implemented and any other measures which she has taken to help one-parent families.

§ Mr. O'Malley
The following is a list of those recommendation in the Finer Committee's Report for which my right194W estimated corresponding figure for the current financial year.

§ Dr. Owen
The information requested is as follows:
hon. Friend is responsible, and which have been implemented. The numbers refer to the recommendation number in Part 9 of the Report— Recommendations 56, 119, 121, 122, 126, 157 161, 170, 174, 195–196, 201^*, 205^** and 228–230.
Other measures which we have taken to help one-parent families include the introduction of child interim benefit which in effect extends family allowance to the first child in such families from April 1976, the announcement of our intention to legislate for a preferential part-time earnings disregard for lone parents receiving supplementary benefit, and the successive increases, the most recent being last November, in social security benefits on which so many lone parents depend. The recommendation on the personal social services are generally in line with the Government's own views. Much is already being done by local authorities and voluntary bodies, but further progress will depend upon the availability of manpower and financial resources, which will be limited in the immediate future, and upon the local authorities judgment of what are priority needs in their area. ^* A circular letter to local authorities about co-ordination at local level is shortly to be issued jointly by my Department and the Department of Education and Science. ^**The Children Act 1975, provides for regulations to be made to improve the supervision of private fostering.