HL Deb 06 March 1979 vol 399 cc160-1WA
Lord SIMON of GLAISDALE

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (1) the average number of one-parent families in 1969 and in each subsequent 161 year for which figures are available; and
  2. (2)in how many of those one-parent families the parent in question was a divorced spouse who had not remarried.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

The following estimates were recently published in an article inPopulation Trends No. 13.

1971 (revised) 1976
Number of one-parent families in GB 570,000 750,000
Of which headed by a divorced mother 120,000 230,000

No information is available on the number of one-parent families headed by a divorced father. Figures are not available for other years.

Divorces in England and Wales
Year Decrees absolute granted (numbers) Percentage change compared with previous year Percentage change compared with 1969 Average No. of children under 16 per divorce Children under 16 involved in divorce (number)
1969 51,310 * *
1970 58,239 +13.5 +13.5 1.22 71,336
1971† 74,437 +27.8 +45.1 1.11 82,304
1972 119,025 +59.9 +132.0 1.10 130,903
1973 106,003 -10.9 +106.6 1.20 126,928
1974 113,500 +7.1 +121.2 1.19 135,334
1975 120,522 +6.2 +134.9 1.20 145,096
1976 126,694 +5.1 +146.9 1.20 152,170
1977 129,053 +1.9 +151.5 1.15 148,830
*Information not available for 1969.
†Note the 1969 Divorce Law Reform Act took effect in 1971.