§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that the existing adoption law governing third party adoptions is operating effectively to prevent payments being made to persons to effect arrangements for the adoption of babies; whether he is satisfied that the existing law prevents advertisements being published indicating a readiness to make arrangements for the adoption of children; and whether he will make a statement.
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§ Miss BaconSection 50 of the Adoption Act, 1958, makes it unlawful to make or give to any person any payment or reward for or in consideration of the transfer by that person of the care and possession of an infant with a view to the adoption of the infant, or the making by that person of any arrangements for the adoption of an infant. Section 51 makes it unlawful for any advertisement to be published indicating that any person (not being a registered adoption society or a local authority) is willing to make arrangements for the adoption of an infant. These prohibitions appear to my right hon. and learned Friend to be clear, although he is ready to consider any practical suggestions for reinforcing them. Any person who has any information which suggests that an offence may have been committed should report it to the police, or to the county or county borough or London borough council, who have power to institute proceedings for offences against the Act.
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that, in breach of the Adoption Act, 1958, the Memorial Centre of Help for Babies, Knightsbridge, administered by Mrs. Holman Richards, is appealing for funds in advertisements which claim that hundreds of couples have been given babies for adoption and that this centre is associated with the St. Margaret Nursing Home of Hackney which provides maternity facilities for unmarried mothers at uneconomic rates; and if he will instruct the Commissioner of Police to institute proceedings under sections 29, 50 and 51 of the Adoption Act, 1958.
§ Miss BaconIt would be improper for my right hon. and learned Friend to express an opinion as to whether the law is being broken in any particular case, or to instruct the Commissioner of Police to take proceedings. He will, however, bring this Question and the Reply to the Commissioner's notice.
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that no research has been conducted into the outcome or practice of adoption; and, in view of the variety of methods of selection made by adoption societies and the consequent hazards to the happiness of the 16,000 children adopted each year, what action he is 117W taking under Section 45 of the Children Act, 1963, to conduct or assist research into the adoption of children.
§ Miss BaconMy right hon. and learned Friend is assisting a national study of adoption which has just been started by the National Bureau for Co-operation in Child Care, and he is hoping to conduct, with the help of the Social Survey of the Central Office of Information, a survey of the ways in which the adoption procedure has been used.
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that there are adoption societies lacking an adequate number of trained social workers and competent persons in their employ and that selection of parents to be permitted to adopt children is being made by assistant secretaries of these societies who have no training in placements; and if he will take steps to draw the attention of local authorities to the regulations, requiring them to refuse to register an adoption society lacking competent persons in their employ.
§ Miss BaconMy right hon. and learned Friend has no reason to think that local authorities are not fully aware of their powers, which are clearly laid down in Section 30 of the Adoption Act, 1958. But he is sure that they will take notice of this Question and Answer.
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that adequate visits are made by local authorities to the homes of prospective adopting parents having a child in care prior to the making, of an application for an adoption order; whether he is aware that in many instances only one visit is made; and whether he will seek to direct a minimum number of visits to be made by local welfare authorities.
§ Miss BaconMy right hon. and learned Friend will consider my hon. Friend's proposal.
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of public concern with the activities of some persons who act as agents between mothers of children and prospective adopters; and whether, in order to ensure that such go-betweens may be required to come before the court in any adoption application in respect of a child they have placed, he will circulate local authorities 118W asking them to carry out the recommendation of the Hurst Committee that all go-betweens should be made respondents to an adoption application.
§ Miss BaconThe court rules were altered after the amending legislation of 1958 to require the guardianad litem to interview every individual who appears to him to have taken part in the arrangements for the adoption of the child. If the court requires the presence of that person as a witness at the hearing of the application, it has power to call him. But my right hon. and learned Friend will look at this point again.