Restriction on the Preparation of Adoption Reports Regulations 2005 and Suitability of Adopters Regulations 2005

My Lords, in moving the draft Restriction on the Preparation of Adoption Reports Regulations 2005, I shall speak also to the draft Suitability of Adopters Regulations 2005, laid on 2 March. As an education Minister, perhaps I may, first, add my tributes to those already paid to Emily Blatch in the House over the past two days. She was a formidable performer in the House and had a great passion for education. She will be greatly missed, not least by many in the education world. Section 94 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 provides for regulations to impose restrictions on those who may prepare adoption reports, including reports about the suitability of a person to adopt a child or the suitability of a child for adoption. These reports form an essential part of decisions about adoptions. It is vital that they are impartial and accurate and produced by suitably qualified and experienced staff so that appropriate decisions are made for children, whose entire well-being, safety and future prospects are at stake in these decisions. Section 94 of the 2002 Act, together with these regulations, will ensure that only qualified social workers employed by or on behalf of adoption agencies, or properly supervised social work students, may prepare the adoption reports prescribed in the regulations. The regulations specify the requirements regarding the relevant experience of a person preparing reports or the experience of a person who supervises him or her. For example, social workers employed by an adoption agency will have to have at least three years' post-qualifying experience in childcare social work, including experience of adoption, or they must be supervised by a social worker with this experience. The regulations will apply to prescribed reports prepared both in domestic and inter-country adoption cases. The Suitability of Adopters Regulations set out the specific factors an adoption agency must take into account when making any report assessing the suitability of a person to adopt a child. These regulations are intended to help achieve clarity, consistency and transparency in the adoption process, for the benefit of the children concerned and also of prospective adopters and the social work profession. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 will, for the first time, allow unmarried couples—whether of the same sex or of different sexes—to apply to adopt jointly. Reflecting concerns rightly expressed during the passage of the legislation through Parliament and commitments made at the time, the suitability regulations require adoption agencies to pay particular attention to the stability and permanence of couple relationships when assessing the suitability to adopt. These regulations apply equally to same sex and different sex partnerships. My department has consulted extensively on the draft regulations and they have been welcomed by all responsible parties in the adoption field. To further strengthen our support for adoption, later this Session we shall be issuing good practice guidance on assessing the suitability of adopters. I commend these two sets of regulations to the House. I beg to move. Moved, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 2 March be approved [11th report from the Joint Committee, Session 2004–05].