§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was, for 1984 and each subsequent year(a) the number of children placed for adoption, (b) the number of those children who were placed for adoption while in local authority care, (c) the number of children on whom adoption orders were made, including the number made on children in local authority care, (d) the number of adoption orders made in cases where the court dispensed with parental consent, (e) the number of children freed for adoption and (f) the breakdown of age of children for each of the above categories.
§ Mrs. CurrieI regret that not all the figures requested are available. The available figures are set out in the tables:
734W
Children and young people adopted from local authority care in England and Wales 1984–86 Age group 1984 1985 1986 Total 2008 2001 1987 Under one 588 569 581
Age group 1984 1985 1986 1–4 646 602 603 5–9 516 538 482 10–15 202 231 266 16 and over 56 61 55
Table 2 Total numbers of adoption orders granted in England and Wales 1984–86 (including adoption orders made in respect of children in care) Age Group 1984 1985 1986 Total 8,648 7,615 7,892 Under 1 year 1,843 1,605 1,572 1–4 years 1,935 1,645 1,748 5–9 years 2,613 2,261 2,349 10–14 years 1,730 1,625 1,652 15–17 years 527 454 495 Not stated age — 25 76 Figures for the year 1984 incorporate a distribution of 11 children whose exact age was not stated.
Table 3 Freeing orders became notifiable on 27 May 1984, the date on which freeing for adoption was first introduced. Freeing orders made in England and Wales which were notified 1984–86 Age Group 1984 1985 1986 Total 16 235 244 Under 1 year 10 66 50 1–4 years 3 86 90 5–9 years 2 52 60 10–14 years — 15 26 15–17 years — 4 1 Not stated age 1 12 17 Further information on adoptions in 1985 and 1986 is contained in OPCS Monitor (Reference FM3 87/1) published on 11 August 1987, a copy of which is available in the Library.