Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to provide support to people who were subject to forced adoption between 1940 and 1970.

I have the deepest sympathy with everyone affected by historic forced adoption. The practice was abhorrent and should never have taken place. Moreover, the treatment that women experienced during this time was very wrong.

Following the report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), ‘The Violation of Family Life: Adoption of Children of Unmarried Women 1949-1976 (2022)’, regulations were amended in 2023 to make it easier for adults to access adoption support. These amendments were widely welcomed.

The department is also currently funding the Adoption England project Improving Adoption Services for Adults (IASA) which is designed to maintain relationships and access to better support for adopted adults, including those adopted between 1940-1970.