§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many tenants in local authority and housing association accommodation are lone parents; what proportion of the total they constitute; and what proportion of new tenancies in the past year have been given to lone parents. [132399]
Mr. Mullin: The figures requested are as follows (for England only):
593WRegistered Social Landlords (RSL)
It is estimated that in March 1999 there were 180,000 lone-parent households living in RSL accommodation; about 17 per cent. of the total. (note 2)There were 204,168 new RSL lettings between April 1999 and March 2000, comprising 143,135 general needs lettings and 61,033 supported housing lettings. Lone-parent households accounted for 39,534 lettings (19 per cent. of the total). (note 3)Local Authorities
At the national level, there is less information available for local authority households than for RSL households. (note 4)In 1998–99 there were an estimated 503,000 local authority households headed by lone parents; about 15 per cent. of the total.Of these, 81,000 had been resident for less than a year (21 per cent. of the local authority households that had been resident for less than a year).Notes:
1. A lone parent with dependent children is defined as any person who is not married or cohabiting and who has their dependent children (aged under 16 or 16–18 and still in full-time education) living with them. Lone parents might be single (never married), widowed, divorced or separated.
2. RSL Tenants' Survey, 1999–2000, carried out by MORI on behalf of The Housing Corporation. Estimates are subject to sampling variation.
3. New RSL lettings data is from CORE General Needs and CORE Supported Housing, April 1999 to March 2000.
4. Local authority figures given are estimates from a sample survey, the "DETR Survey of English Housing", and therefore are subject to sampling variation.