§ Lord Simon of Glaisdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many children under the age of 16 years were named annually in petitions for divorce filed from 1969 to the latest year for which figures are available.
The Lord ChancellorThe figures for England and Wales are set out in the table below. These statistics are collected only when decrees are made absolute, and the numbers of decrees absolute for the years from 1969 are therefore also given.
Year Decrees Absolute Children Named 1969 51,310 Not available 1970 58,239 71,336 1971 74,437 82,304 1972 119,025 130,903 1973 106,003 126,928 1974 113,500 135,334 1975 120,522 145,096 1976 126,694 152,170 1977 129,053 148,792 1978 143,667 162,655 1979 138,706 155,425 1980 148,185 Not yet available House adjourned at thirteen minutes before nine o'clock.