HC Deb 23 July 1981 vol 9 cc219-21W
Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update tables 5, 7 and 8 of the

Age structure of tone parents: combined GHS figures for 1978–1980
Great Britain
Percentages in each age group
Sex and marital status Under 25 25–34 35–44 45 and over All ages Estimated median age (in years) Number in sample
Mothers
Single 52 34 10 3 100 25 244
Widowed — 9 26 66 100 49 244
Divorced 6 40 41 13 100 36 514
Separated (married) 17 39 30 13 100 34 356
Total 16 33 30 21 100 35 1,358
Fathers
Total 1 13 36 50 100 45 173
Total 14 31 31 24 100 36 1,531

Employment status of lone mothers compared with married women with dependent children, by age of youngest child: combined GHS figures for

1977 to 1979

Great Britain Percentages
Lone Mothers
Age of youngest child Employment status Single Widowed Divorced Separated (married) Total Married women with dependent children
All ages Working full time 25 16 26 18 22 15
Working part-time 11 34 26 24 24 37
Not working 64 50 48 58 54 48
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100
Number in sample 230 253 495 339 1,317 11,655
Under 5 Working full time 19 7 9 9 13 5
Working part-time 8 27 19 12 13 22
Not working 72 67 71 79 74 73
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100
Number in sample 149 15 108 124 396 4,360
5 and over Working full time 36 17 30 24 26 21

article in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Periodical Population Trends No. 13, autumn 1978, pages 8–9.

Mrs. Chalker

The tables are as follows:

Lone Mothers
Age of youngest child Employment status Single Widowed Divorced Separated (married) Total Married women with dependent children
5 and over Working full time 36 17 30 24 26 21
Working part-time 16 34 28 31 29 45
Not working 48 49 42 46 45 34
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100
Number in sample 81 238 387 215 921 7,295

Lane parents with children of preschool and school age*: combined GHS figures for 1978–80

Great Britain Percentages
Mothers
Lone parents with dependent children Single Widowed Divorced Separated (married) Total Fathers Total
Parents with all children aged under 5 54 1 9 9 19 3 17
Parents with children aged both under 5 and 5 and over 6 4 11 16 10 2 9
Parents with all children aged 5 and over 40 95 81 63 71 95 74
Total parents 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Number in sample 244 244 514 356 1,358 173 1,531
Average number of children 1.20 1.53 1.84 1.81 1.66 1.71 1.67
* "School age" is aged 5 to 15 or aged 16 to 18 and in full-time education.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest available figures on how many (a) one-parent families headed by a woman, (b) one-parent families headed by a man and (c) two-parent families rely on (i) State benefits, (ii) earnings from employment, (iii) maintenance payments and (iv) other items as their main source of income.

Mrs. Chalker

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South (Mr. Dobson) on 27 October 1980.—[Vol. 991, c.171–72.] I hope that estimates for 1979 will be available later this year.