§ Mr. John TownsendTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) adoptions there have been in the United Kingdom and (b) children have been put out to foster in each of the last 10 years; and what has been the total cost to public funds of fostering in the last year. [2133]
§ Mr. BowisNumbers of adoptions in England and Wales are published in "Marriage and Divorce Statistics: England and Wales 19XX. OPCS series FM2", copies of which are available in the Library. Information about adoptions in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for 723W my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Numbers of children placed with local authority foster parents in England in the 10 years to 31 March 1993 are contained in historical tables in "Children Looked After by Local Authorities, 14 October 1991 to 31 March 1993. A/F 93/12", copies of which are available in the Library. The provisional figure for 31 March 1994 was 32,000.
Net expenditure by local authorities on children boarded out in 1993–94, the latest year for which the information is available, was £244 million.