Labour MP Chris Agius said in Parliament today that 3,399 single parents were receiving social benefits.

Speaking during the debate on the Budget Implementation Bill, he said that of these 3,356 were women: 2,282 had one child, 810 had two children, 202 had four,13 had five children, three had six and one had seven children.

Of the 43 men, 37 had one child, three had two children and and other three also had three children.

Mr Agius said last year there were 185 children born to single mothers who declared that the father was “unknown”.