§ Mr. Randallasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of children, arranged for legal adoption by local authorities, who were not previously in the care of the local authorities.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI regret that the figures for which the hon. Member asks are not available.
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§ Mr. Randallasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of children legally adopted since 1926, the number of these arranged by local authorities, and the number by voluntary bodies.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerUp to the end of 1956 about 295,000 adoption orders were registered. I do not know in how many cases the arrangements were made by a local authority or a registered adoption society; but I estimate that in recent years between one-quarter and one-third of legal adoptions have been arranged by one or the other, the majority by adoption societies.