§ Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many children from countries other than Romania were granted entry clearance for adoption purposes during 1990;
(2) how many children are currently awaiting adoption from Romania to families in the United Kingdom;
(3) how many children have been adopted into families in the United Kingdom from Romania in each of the last three years;
(4) what proportion of the children adopted into families in the United Kingdom from Romania have living birth parents.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe available information is that, since December 1989, 144 Romanian children have been granted entry clearance to come to the United Kingdom with a view to adoption by British couples. Forty-two applications are outstanding, 39 of which have been made since 1 December 1990. Earlier information about Romanian children and information about children from other countries granted entry clearance with a view to adoption in the United Kingdom has not been collected centrally.
No statistics are collected about the natural parents of children admitted for adoption. In all cases involving children where one or both parents are living parental consent to the proposed adoption is required.