§ 48. Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has as to the percentage of divorced and separated men who do not contribute towards the maintenance of their children; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThis Department does not hold information in the form requested. The information we have relates only to maintenance paid for lone parent families receiving income support (formerly supplementary benefit), of whom 95 per cent. are lone mothers. The most recent figures available are for May 1987 and show that fathers were not paying maintenance for children in about 60 per cent. of the cases involving divorced mothers and about 70 per cent. of cases involving separated mothers. The Government are naturally concerned by these figures.
Source: Supplementary Benefit Annual Statistical Enquiry 1987.