Letter: Trials of a Forties single parent

Sir: Your front-page story ('Lilley seeks to calm lone parents storm', 10 November) quotes Peter Lilley, Secretary of State for Social Security, as saying that the Homeless Persons Act 'gives priority to single parents'. Further on in the article you say that proposals likely to be adopted include changes to homelessness legislation so that lone parents no longer receive automatic priority.

As the Government is well aware, lone parents do not receive priority over two-parent families. It is the presence of children which determines whether or not an applicant under the Act has priority need. The number of parents is completely irrelevant.

Yours faithfully,

ANDY MUDD

Keighley, West Yorkshre