§ Mr. Adam Butlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of maintenance orders awarded to divorced or separated spouses in the last convenient 12-month period; how many of these payments are known or believed not to have been paid; 502W and what is the total value of payments awarded under such orders in the same period and the actual or estimated total amount not paid.
§ Mr. JohnInformation in the form requested is not available. However, during 1976 magistrates' courts made about 7,000 orders in matrimonial proceedings, and the higher courts made 58,545 orders for ancillary relief in proceedings for divorce, nullity or judicial separation. A large number of these orders would have provided for maintenance.
Over the same period magistrates' courts made 1,734 attachment of earnings orders to enforce matrimonial maintenance orders and the higher courts made 539.