Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1696771

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of providing a formal apology to unmarried women and their children who were forcibly separated between 1949 and 1976.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
	tabling member printed	Darren Jones
	uin	19134
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2024 answer text <p>The government agreed that the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) raised some important issues regarding historical adoption practices. Whilst a formal apology has not been issued, as the government did not actively support these practices, the government has publicly said sorry on behalf of society to all those affected by these practices during this period.</p><p>As the government response said at the time, successive governments have made significant changes to adoption legislation and practice to ensure that the practices reported are never repeated.</p><p>Furthermore, following the JCHR report, the department has already amended regulations to make it easier for adults to access adoption support. In addition, the department has written to local authorities, encouraging them to retain historical adoption records for 100 years instead of 75, to make access to records easier, and asking them to support access without undue delay to such records.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 27/03/2024 17:19:32 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1672477

	registered interest
	date	22/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support she provides to local authorities to help provide post-adoption support.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	3310
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>The department is committed to improving the support available to adopted children and their families to help them make the most of life’s opportunities.</p><p>Since 2015, the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) has provided funds to local authorities and Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) to support eligible adoptive and special guardianship order families. The ASF helps children and their families access assessments to support understanding of their needs and a range of therapeutic interventions related to their attachment and trauma. The department has provided over £345 million in ASF funding to local authorities to provide post-adoption support to over 46,000 children since 2015.</p><p>The department is providing funding worth £5 million between 2023 to 2025 to support RAAs to develop Centres of Excellence with the aim of providing better wraparound care for adoptive children and their families. Centres of Excellence include teams of health, education and adoption support services, providing joint packages of care for adopted children. The funding is being used to develop new projects in seven RAA areas and participating local authorities will benefit from shared approaches to assessment and support.</p><p>The department is also committed to ensuring that adopted children are supported to succeed in education. Previously looked after children attract Pupil Premium Plus at a rate of £2,530 per year and they have top priority in school admissions. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to act as the central point of contact for adoptive families about their child’s progress in school. In addition, local authorities must appoint a virtual school head to give schools and adoptive families expert advice on the education needs of adopted children, including how best Pupil Premium Plus funding can be used to support them.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 04/12/2023 17:02:51 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1653656

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to issue a formal apology to unmarried mothers who had their babies taken for adoption from the1940s to the1970s.
	tabling member constituency	Enfield, Southgate
	tabling member printed	Bambos Charalambous
	uin	194535
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2023 answer text <p>The government set out its position on the question of issuing a formal apology when it responded to the Joint Committee on Human Rights report, ‘The Violation of Family Life: Adoption of Children of Unmarried Women 1949–1976’. The government’s response was published on 3 March 2023 and is available at: <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt5803/jtselect/jtrights/1180/report.html" target="_blank">https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt5803/jtselect/jtrights/1180/report.html</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 01/08/2023 10:55:00 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
	tabling member	4610 label Biography information for Bambos Charalambous

1583550

	registered interest
	date	03/02/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Independent Review of Children's Social Care, published in May 2022, whether she plans to take steps to reform adoption processes.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	139190
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2023 answer text <p>The National Adoption Strategy, published in July 2021, sets out the department’s long-term ambitions and a clear programme of reform to deliver excellence in adoption services across England. As set out in our Adoption Strategy, we remain committed to improving adoption processes, including modernising contact arrangements between birth parents, adopted children and adoptive parents, a key recommendation from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. This strategy can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-strategy-achieving-excellence-everywhere" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-strategy-achieving-excellence-everywhere</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 13/02/2023 16:51:02 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1542846

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase the number of parents willing to adopt children and young people.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	88930
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2022 answer text <p>Over £2.5 million of government funding has been invested in adopter recruitment, with further committed funding of £1 million between 2023 - 2025.</p><p>The department has worked closely with the Regional Adoption Agencies since 2019 to test new and innovative ways for adopter recruitment. This saw the launch of the #YouCanAdopt campaign in 2020. As a result, the number of approved adopters waiting to be matched with a child rose from 1,900 at 31 March 2019 to 2,620 at 31 March 2022.</p><p>The department’s National Adoption Strategy sets out our aims and ambitions to build on this best practice and drive consistent, high-quality standards across the whole of the adoption process, including adopter recruitment. In March 2022, the department announced an investment of £160 million over three years to deliver the strategy.</p><p>More detailed information about our plans for recruitment in the Strategy can be found here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1006232/_Adoption_strategy_.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1006232/_Adoption_strategy_.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 24/11/2022 13:45:45 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1535603

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is provided to birth parents going through the adoption process.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	69905
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2022 answer text <p>The Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005 set out what support adoption agencies must offer birth parents. This includes counselling and information about the implications of adoption and an assessment of birth parents’ support needs, if they request this. Agencies must also discuss future contact so that this can be considered by the court on any application for a placement or adoption order, and must also ask about birth parents’ wishes regarding the religion and culture of their child should the child go to live with adopters.</p><p>Regional Adoption Agency leaders have recently set up a Birth Parent Reference Group, which meets regularly to ensure that the voices of birth families are being heard and considered in the development of adoption services nationally.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 02/11/2022 13:51:28 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1490252

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Adoption strategy, published in July 2021, what recent progress his Department has made on working with the regional adoption agencies Leaders Group to (a) trial and develop good practice and (b) set national standards in (i) supporting birth families and (ii) contact arrangements.
	tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
	tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
	uin	38828
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2022 answer text <p>The government is determined to respond to the challenges set by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care and will consider the recommendations carefully. As set out in our adoption strategy paper, improving contact for children, birth families, and adoptive parents is a key priority.</p><p> </p><p>The adoption strategy commits us to working with regional adoption agencies to develop and trial what good practice around contact looks like, with a view to setting national standards in this area. This includes investigating what support is needed for children, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Regional adoption agencies are currently trialling a programme called ‘Letterswap’, which is a new digital platform to improve the current ‘Letterbox’ system.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board has established a ‘Maintaining relationships for children’ sub-group. It has a remit to improve children’s understanding of their identity to improve their ability to reach their potential as adults. This group’s work will complement that of regional adoption agency leaders to help develop good practice around contact which can be shared with adoption agencies across the country.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith grouped question UIN 38827 question first answered 21/07/2022 15:42:13 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1490251

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the independent review of children’s social care: Final report, published in May 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing that report's recommendations regarding (a) contact in general and (b) letterbox contact.
	tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
	tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
	uin	38827
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2022 answer text <p>The government is determined to respond to the challenges set by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care and will consider the recommendations carefully. As set out in our adoption strategy paper, improving contact for children, birth families, and adoptive parents is a key priority.</p><p> </p><p>The adoption strategy commits us to working with regional adoption agencies to develop and trial what good practice around contact looks like, with a view to setting national standards in this area. This includes investigating what support is needed for children, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Regional adoption agencies are currently trialling a programme called ‘Letterswap’, which is a new digital platform to improve the current ‘Letterbox’ system.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board has established a ‘Maintaining relationships for children’ sub-group. It has a remit to improve children’s understanding of their identity to improve their ability to reach their potential as adults. This group’s work will complement that of regional adoption agency leaders to help develop good practice around contact which can be shared with adoption agencies across the country.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith grouped question UIN 38828 question first answered 21/07/2022 15:42:13 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1487166

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to Adoption UK’s Barometer Report, published in June, what steps they are taking to measure the impact of a lack of support for adopted people and their families when establishing birth family contact.
	tabling member printed	Lord Watson of Invergowrie
	uin	HL1546
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2022 answer text <p>Local authorities have a legal duty to provide a comprehensive adoption service. This specifically includes 'Assistance, including mediation services, in relation to arrangements for contact between an adoptive child and a natural parent, natural sibling, former guardian or a related person of the adoptive child', as set out in Adoption Support Services Regulations 2005. It be found at: <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/691/part/2/made?view=plain" target="_blank">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/691/part/2/made?view=plain</a>. Contact arrangements should be reviewed regularly, and families should be supported with the contact arrangements before, during and after the adoption.</p><p>As set out in our 'Adoption Strategy: achieving excellence everywhere', the department is working with Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) to develop and trial what good practice around contact looks like, with a view to setting national standards in this area. This includes investigating what support is needed for children, birth parents, and adoptive parents. RAAs are also currently trialling a new programme called ‘Letterswap', a new digital platform to improve the current ‘Letterbox’ system. The published adoption strategy is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-strategy-achieving-excellence-everywhere" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-strategy-achieving-excellence-everywhere</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran grouped question UIN HL1544 HL1545 question first answered 20/07/2022 15:56:43 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	1241 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Invergowrie

1487165

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings included in Adoption UK’s Barometer Report, published in June, which showed that only (1) 12 per cent of adopters surveyed were offered advice and training on establishing contact with birth family relatives of their adopted child, and (2) 17 per cent of adopted adults surveyed reported being given any professional support prior to establishing contact with their own birth family in childhood; and what steps they plan to take in response.
	tabling member printed	Lord Watson of Invergowrie
	uin	HL1545
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2022 answer text <p>Local authorities have a legal duty to provide a comprehensive adoption service. This specifically includes 'Assistance, including mediation services, in relation to arrangements for contact between an adoptive child and a natural parent, natural sibling, former guardian or a related person of the adoptive child', as set out in Adoption Support Services Regulations 2005. It be found at: <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/691/part/2/made?view=plain" target="_blank">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/691/part/2/made?view=plain</a>. Contact arrangements should be reviewed regularly, and families should be supported with the contact arrangements before, during and after the adoption.</p><p>As set out in our 'Adoption Strategy: achieving excellence everywhere', the department is working with Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) to develop and trial what good practice around contact looks like, with a view to setting national standards in this area. This includes investigating what support is needed for children, birth parents, and adoptive parents. RAAs are also currently trialling a new programme called ‘Letterswap', a new digital platform to improve the current ‘Letterbox’ system. The published adoption strategy is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-strategy-achieving-excellence-everywhere" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-strategy-achieving-excellence-everywhere</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran grouped question UIN HL1544 HL1546 question first answered 20/07/2022 15:56:43 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	1241 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Invergowrie