Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 8750 on Adoption, what recent progress her Department has made on providing support to people affected by historic forced adoption practices between the 1940 and 1970.

The government remains committed to ensuring that individuals affected by historical adoption practices receive the support they need and deserve. The department continues to follow up on the 2022 Joint Committee on Human Rights report, including actions to improve access to adoption records, enhance intermediary services, and support the preservation of historical records.

The department continues to fund Adoption England, which has recently published new guidance to support consistent and legally compliant practice across all adoption services. Adoption England funds the pilot initiative FamilyConnect, a national advice line designed to support adopted adults, birth parents, relatives, and professionals by providing intermediary services and assistance with searching and accessing records.

The department is planning to introduce regulatory changes, subject to Parliamentary approval, that will mean adoption case records for those adopted before 30 December 2005 are preserved for a minimum of 100 years.