The annual British Social Attitudes survey of 3,000 people chosen at random found that 66 percent said there is little difference socially between being married and living together, while 28 percent said married couples make better parents than unmarried ones.

Thirty percent of those surveyed think that it should be harder for couples with children under age 16 to get divorced, but 38 percent disagreed.

Forty-two said one parent can bring up a child as well as two parents, while 41 percent disagreed. Forty-two percent disagreed with the view that a gay male couple is as capable of being good parents as a man and a woman, but 31 percent agreed.

Ninety-percent of survey respondents said sperm donor insemination should be allowed for a couple who cannot conceive children naturally, but that drops to 61 percent in the case of a single woman.