Oral Answers to Questions

Alison Bennett Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Georgia Gould]

Colleges can continue to fund the international baccalaureate. We are focused on raising standards for all students, and we are already seeing the difference that that is making in increased attendance and increased investment in the school system.

[Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)]

10. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)]

I appreciate the strength of feeling regarding the adoption and special guardianship support fund. Last month, I met campaigners, adopters and those running adoption services to discuss their views. This year, we have invested £50 million in the adoption and special guardianship support fund, and we have approved applications for nearly 14,000 children since April. I want to work with families and those delivering adoption support towards a positive and sustainable solution for the future.

[Alison Bennett]

Alison Roy is a constituent of mine. She is a therapist and works with adopted children. Last week, she drew to my attention the BBC Radio 4 programme “File on 4” on the impact and state of adoption, which highlighted that more than 1,000 adopted children have been returned to care in the past five years. Does the Minister think that per-child cuts to the ASGSF will help or hinder keeping children with their adoptive families?

[Josh MacAlister]

I thank the hon. Member for drawing the attention of the House to a very powerful radio documentary, which I listened to last week. We do not have perfect data on this issue, but the data that we do have shows that cumulative adoption breakdowns have been at a rate of 4.8% over the past 12 years. I think that is too high, and it is the view of the Government that it is too high. We want to ensure that we get adoption support right for families, and I will go through a process of engagement with those who work in the sector and families affected to ensure that we can make improvements to it in the future.