Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2015 to Question 1002, whether her Department plans to use its powers in all cases where local authorities are unwilling to join regional adoption agencies.

The government’s intention is that, as far as possible, the sector should move to regional adoption agencies voluntarily and make their own decisions about what those arrangements look like. This year, we are providing £4.5 million in financial and practical support in order to help agencies come together to form regional adoption agencies. This sector-led approach will mean the changes build on existing relationships and have the support of those involved, while responding to the characteristics and needs of the local area.

For local authorities that are unwilling or unable to join regional adoption agencies, we will look to use our powers to direct them to be involved wherever necessary and appropriate.

The government has also announced an additional £30 million of funding available for twelve months, starting from July 2015, to cover the fees that local authorities have to pay when families are found from other areas. This investment is targeted specifically at finding homes for almost 3, 000 children who are still waiting for adoption, despite there being sufficient numbers of adopters available nationally. Local authorities with higher numbers of children waiting stand to benefit most from this measure.