Adoption

Lord Hylton Excerpts

Tuesday 8th December 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

This is an area that we have great concern about and we are trying to increase our data on it from local authorities. I will be happy to write to the noble Lord in much more detail.

[Lord Hylton (CB)]

My Lords, we can all agree that the most careful checks need to be made before a child is placed for adoption. However, there have been long delays in many cases. What are the Government doing to ensure that those delays are kept to the absolute minimum?

[Lord Nash]

The Children and Families Act was very much about speeding up the process. The number of placements made within a year has almost doubled and the time children wait for adoption has fallen by several months. I have already alluded to the issues we have in the immediate short term and the possible plans for legislative change to remedy the situation.