§ Mr. Bradfordasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has of the number of one-parent families in Northern Ireland in which the parent has been separated or divorced from: (a) a wife and (b) a husband.
§ Mr. ConcannonThe information in the form requested is not available. However, of 8,201 one-parent families in receipt of supplementary benefit at 3rd December 1975, 7,769 were headed by the mother, of whom 3,182 were separated and 324 divorced, and 432 were headed by the father, on whom information about their marital status is not available. Of 6,296 one-parent families who had claimed child interim benefit on 2nd July 1976, 5,109 were headed by the mother and 1,187 by the father, but information concerning their marital status is not available. There may be some overlap between these two groups of beneficiaries.