§ Mr. Forresterasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many maintenance cases were dealt with by the courts in each of the past three years; and what was the estimated total cost in each year.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralI have been asked to reply.
Figures are not yet available for 1978. The numbers of divorce cases in which orders for ancillary relief were made in 1975, 1976 ad 1977 were, respectively, 46,766; 58,545; and 64,817. Details of maintenance proceedings in magistrates' courts in the years 1964–77 are set out at page 120 of the judicial statistics for the year 1977, Cmnd. 7254. No separate estimate is made of the cost of dealing with such cases in courts.