§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single parents there are in the United Kingdom by gender; and how many of the women are(a) widowed and (b) divorced; how many were teenage mothers; and if she will estimate how many have been subject to domestic violence. [26274]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyEstimates of one-parent families with dependent children are not available for the United Kingdom. The provisional estimate, made by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), of the number in Great Britain for 1995 is 1.56 million.
ONS estimated that in 1995, 92 per cent. of lone parents in Great Britain were lone mothers, giving provisional estimates of the numbers of lone mothers and lone fathers of 1.44 million and 0.12 million, respectively.Similarly the estimated percentages of lone mothers who were widowed, or divorced, were 4.8 per cent. and 33.5 per cent. respectively, and provisional estimates of their numbers were 70,000 and 480,000 respectively.Information is not available on the number of lone parents who had ever been teenage mothers. However, the estimated percentage of all those who in 1995 were teenage lone mothers was 2.3 per cent., and a provisional estimate of their numbers was 30,000.Information is not available on the number of lone mothers who have been subject to domestic violence. However, there is research information about numbers experiencing domestic violence in the last year of their relationship, and this is shown in the table.
Arguments and violence in the last year of the relationship Per cent. First partner Second partner Unweighted base (618) (109) Couple never argued 17 13 Argued, no violence 46 47 Some violence, lone mother not injured 8 9 Violence, lone mother injured 29 32 Notes:
1. This information is based on the 1994 lone parent cross-section survey conducted as part of the DSS/Policy Studies Institute (PSI) Programme of Research into Low Income Families.
2. The figures include lone mothers (excluding widows) who had ever lived with a partner. The first partner refers to the lone mother's co-resident partner around or subsequent to the birth of their eldest 701W child. The second partner is the one subsequent to the first partner (around half of whom were also parents of one or more of the lone mother's children).
§ Mr. Duncan SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 16 December 1997,Official Report, columns 139–40, how many of the 540 lone parents, not currently receiving income support, are currently claiming (a) no benefits, (b) only child benefit and (c) family credit. [24672]
§ Mr. Keith Bradley[holding answer 22 January 1998]: Information requested in parts (a) and (b) is not available.
Of the 540 lone parents referred to above, 385 were awarded Family Credit.
A full evaluation report, comparing the outcomes for lone parents in the New Deal for Lone Parent areas with those in the control areas where the service is not yet available, will be published in 1999.
Notes:
1. The figure of 540 lone parents quoted in the Written Answer, 16 December 1997, Official Report, column 140 was arrived at as follows: up to the end of November, 864 lone parents had been helped into work through the Government's New Deal for Lone Parents. Although the majority will have moved into work of 16 or more hours per week, information on the hours of work was not available in all cases. Of the 655 cases where information was available at the time, 568 lone parents had moved into work of 16 or more hours per week. Of this group, 540 were not then receiving Income Support.2. The figure of 385 lone parents awarded Family Credit was derived from the New Deal for Lone Parents Lone Parent Adviser system and a check of Family Credit records.
§ Mr. ChisholmTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made on fast-tracking family credit and CSA claims under the New Deal for Lone Parents. [25636]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyFast-track arrangements are in place to clear claims and to secure the speedy payments of Family Credit where a person has just started, or is about to start work. These fast-track arrangements also apply to lone parents participating in the New Deal for Lone Parents programme. The target set for these fast-track claims is to process 95 per cent. within five working days. This target is currently being achieved.
The Child Support Agency has agreed to process applications for maintenance more quickly, where the parent with care has signed up to a New Deal for Lone Parents Action Plan. They will also answer straightforward inquiries from New Deal for Lone Parents Personal Advisers on behalf of lone parents immediately, and all others within five working days.