HL Deb 02 July 1981 vol 422 cc400-1WA
Baroness Seear

asked Her Majesty's Government:

For each year since 1961, how many people have been prosecuted for failing to maintain themselves and their family.

Lord Cullen of Ashbourne

Under Section 25 of the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976, persons may be prosecuted if they persistently refuse or neglect to maintain themselves or their dependents. Broadly similar provisions were contained in Section 30 of the Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 and in Section 51 of the National Assistance Act 1948.

There are two categories of people who may be prosecuted under this legislation: claimants who are unemployed and who refuse or neglect to obtain employment; and non-claimants who are liable relatives—mainly deserting husbands who fail to maintain their wives and children. The numbers of prosecutions for the years in question were as follows:

Year Unemployed Claimants Liable Relatives
1961 180 418
1962 134 406
1963 96 439
1964 131 446
1965 178 604
1966 178 635
1967 95 716
1968 88 597
1969 106 598
1970 58 675
1971 64 614
1972 17 604
1973 8 535
1974 24 564
1975 23 624
1976 12 559
1977 6 378
1978 7 409
1979 6 452
1980 2 759
The sharp decline in the number of prosecutions of unemployed claimants since 1971 mainly reflects the increasing use of unemployment review officers since then. Their primary task is to get people back into work whenever possible and prosecution is now regarded as very much a last resort.