HC Deb 18 March 1976 vol 907 cc627-8W
Mrs. Chalker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will estimate from the most recent family expenditure survey data the main sources of income for one-parent families.

Mr. O'Malley

No firm estimate of the total number of one-parent families is available for later than 1971, but the figure of 650,000 which was given in my reply to the hon. Member on 13th February has been broken down according to the proportions of one-parent families with each main source of income as estimated in the Family Expenditure Survey 1974. This information is shown in the following table:

MAIN SOURCE OF INCOME
No. of families (thousands)
Fatherless families other than widows' Families
Earnings 180
Maintenance 40
Supplementary benefits 210
Other 10
All 440
Widows' families
Earnings 20
Widows' benefits 90
Other 10
All 120
Motherless families
Earnings 80
Supplementary benefits 10
All 90
Total number of one-parent families 650

NOTES

1. Main source is defined as the largest single item of income.

2. These estimates are based on the 1974 Family Expenditure Survey date and are subject to sampling error: figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.

3. Differences between these estimates and those for 1971 (published in table 5.1 of the Finer Report) are not neecssarily significant.—[Vol. 905, c. 415.]