§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, at the latest date available, what is the best estimate for the number of lone parents in the United Kingdom and the number of children in lone-parent families.
§ Mr. O'MalleyFor the number of lone parents I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker) on 13th February.
The estimate given in the Finer Committee's Report of the number of dependent children in lone-parent families in the year 1971 is 1,080,000. No firm estimate since 1971 is available.—[Vol. 905. c. 415.]
§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for the latest five-year period, how many people in the United Kingdom will have been lone parents at some time during that five years; and how many children will have been members of a lone-parent family at some time during the same period.
§ Mr. O'MalleyI regret that it is impractical to compile such estimates from the available information.