§ 18. Mrs. Ann CryerTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the Government's policies on the employment prospects of single parents. [150152]
§ Dawn PrimaroloImproving the employment prospects of lone parents is a key priority for the Government. The lone parent employment rate has risen from 44 per cent. in 1997 to over 50 per cent. now—the highest rate for 20 years. Many more lone parents say that they would like to work and so the Government has set a new objective: that 70 per cent. of lone parents are in employment by the end of the decade. Policies such as the New Deal for lone parents, the Working Families Tax Credit and the National Childcare Strategy are already helping the Government to achieve this aim.