Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Hanham (Conservative) on Tuesday, 1 November 2011.

Housing

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many additional properties they estimate are occupied in the United Kingdom as a result of family breakdowns; and how many they estimate will be needed in the next ten years.

Answer: Information on the number of properties occupied or needed due to family breakdown is not collected centrally. According to the latest household projections in the period from 2008-18, the number of households in England is projected to increase from 21.7 million to 24.1 million, an increase of 11 per cent. During the same period, the average household size is projected to decrease from 2.33 to 2.25 persons per household. More information can be found at: http://www. communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/2033household1110.

Secondary information