PILING UP PATHOLOGIES:

Number of one-parent families up by 24% (JAMES KIRKUP, 1/24/06, The Scotsman)

THE number of one-parent families in Scotland has risen by a quarter since Labour came to power, official figures show.

The fresh evidence of family break-up comes as Tony Blair unveils his attempt to reform the welfare system - a system critics say has encouraged the growth of single-parent families.

According to official data obtained by The Scotsman, there are now 174,000 single-parent families in Scotland, up from 140,000 in 1997. And families in Scotland are disintegrating faster than those in other parts of Britain: Scotland's 24 per cent rise outstrips the UK-wide increase of 17 per cent.