§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with Romanian authorities about inter-country adoption. [26494]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 11 January 2002]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Department of Health officials have had regular contact with the National Authority for the Protection of Children and Adoption (formally the Romanian Committee for Adoption) concerning individual inter-country adoption applications.
An informal Co-operation Agreement between the Department of Health and the Romanian Committee for Adoptions was signed on 17 February 1998. A copy of the Co-operation Agreement has been placed in the Library for information. The Agreement was drawn up in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, following the introduction of new adoption legislation in Romania in 1997. The Co-operation Agreement embodies the principles of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption 1993.
755WA one-year moratorium on international adoptions from Romania was announced by the Romanian National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, formerly the Romanian Committee for Adoptions, on 13 July, following a recommendation from the European Parliament. The United Kingdom Government have expressed their support for the one-year moratorium, which will allow the Romanian authorities time to redraft legislation on adoption and get the necessary framework in place to support it.