CLAUSE IV.—(Regulations.) (Hansard, 28 April 1939)

§ Miss Horsbrugh

I beg to move, in page 4, line 37, after "order," to insert: and to the provisions of this Act relating to the transfer of the care and possession of children to persons resident abroad. This Clause refers to regulations to be laid down by the Secretary of State in regard to the conduct of the work of adoption societies. One of the matters to be provided for in the regulations is that a memorandum should be handed to the mother or whoever brings the child for adoption, stating exactly and in clear terms what rights are being given up, if the child is adopted. As the Bill stands, reference in this connection is made only to cases in which an order for adoption is made in court. The Bill has been amended in Committee, and various provisions have been made dealing with the transfer of children to the care and possession of British persons resident abroad, and we think it better to provide that there should be added to that memorandum a statement to the effect that the care and possession of the child is not permitted to be transferred to anyone abroad except a British national, and that a child can only be so transferred if a permit is obtained from the chief magistrate at Bow Street. We think it as well that that information should be included in the memorandum, so that the mother of the child would realise that her consent is necessary, and that it is her duty or her right to attend court and give her opinion as to whether the transfer of the child to the care and possession of a British subject abroad would be for the good of the child.