§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken in respect of the welfare of former British child migrants since the publication of his Department's response to the Third report of the Health Committee, Session 1997–98, HC 755; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such measures. [138171]
§ Mr. HuttonIn the Government's response to the Health Select Committee's Report on the Welfare of Former Child Migrants, a commitment was given to provide practical help to former child migrants.
We agreed to increase funding for the Child Migrants Trust to £500,000 over three years (1999–2002) to assist former child migrants in tracing their relatives and also to provide counselling services.
It has also set up a Support Fund (£1 million over three years managed by International Social Services) to enable first time re-unions between former child migrants and their immediate relatives in the United Kingdom through paying travel and subsistence cost. The International Social Services (ISS) have so far received 209 applications, of which 181 have been successful.
We have also funded a central information index to help child migrants trace their roots. The Index was installed in November 1999 and to date they have received 181 applications.
Departmental officials met with the Agent General for Western Australia, Clive Griffiths on 17 August 2000 formally to receive a copy of the Western Australian Former Child Migrant Referral Index. This Department reciprocated by handing over those records from the UK Central Information Index which were specific to Western Australia. We will continue to work with Australian colleagues to ensure that maximum benefit is derived for child migrants from the information held on the Index.
Although no specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of these measures the Child Migrants Trust and International Social Services along with the National Council for Voluntary Child Care Organisations, who set up the Child Migrant Information Index provide my officials with regular progress reports on the services they are supplying.