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

My Lords, I am extremely grateful to the noble Earl and the noble Baroness for their warm welcome for the regulations and for the many points that they raised. I will write to them on many of the detailed points, so that I can give full particulars, rather than attempting to address them now when, in some cases, I do not have the full details to hand. The big issue that the noble Earl raised was the brevity of the regulations and the reference across to the guidance. We take the guidance extremely seriously—indeed, we are consulting on it at present—and it addresses several of the issues raised in the debate. To take only one example—the issue of stability of relationships and same-sex and different-sex couples who are seeking to adopt and how they are assessed—the guidance will set out clearly what factors should be taken account of by social workers. Indeed, the guidance on which we are presently consulting sets out nine factors in making those assessments. Social workers will seek to discuss with prospective adopters all nine of the following issues: the history of their relationship including the length of time together; what makes their current relationship work; whether the relationship has been severely tested and survived; how the couple go about resolving difficulties; how the prospective adopters perceive commitment; where the couples see themselves in 20 years' time; how decisions are made within the partnership; how conflict is dealt with in the relationship in respect of monetary and domestic issues; whether the partners support each other and meet each others' needs; and other relevant considerations. Those and many of the other issues raised in the questions will be set out in the guidance that we will offer; I will ensure that full details are made available to the noble Earl and the noble Baroness. One issue of great significance was raised by both the noble Earl and the noble Baroness. It concerns the experience and standing of the social worker who writes the report on a child; whether it is satisfactory that such a report could be written by someone who is not themselves a social worker of three years' standing and with the experience set out in the regulations; and the importance of ensuring that such reports are written by social workers who, wherever possible, have direct experience of the children in question. I am told that the statutory guidance to the adoption agency mentions the importance of the reports about a child being written by the worker who knows them or, if the social worker is new, by the person who knows the child and will work with the social worker in question. I am told that that is set out clearly, so that gives satisfaction on that point. It is best if I say that I will return to the other issues in correspondence, but of course we recognise the significance of the all the points raised, such as the importance of training and its upgrading. I am not aware of how we plan to gather and publish statistics, but I appreciate the importance of the point raised by the noble Earl of ensuring that the new category of adopters are closely monitored as the new regulations come into force. The issue of the relationship between the Department for Education and Skills, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the courts is clearly important. We all recognise the rights and needs of birth parents and how they can be properly catered for in the process, as the noble Baroness said. On the issue of parallel tracking, which she raised, I must confess that, not having been engaged closely in these events for two and a half years, I cannot give her an honest answer as to why it has taken so long to produce the regulations but, again, I hope to give her a full account of what has been done in the intervening period and satisfy her that it has led to a commensurate improvement in the quality of the regulations and the training available. However, I note one very welcome development during those two and a half years, which is a significant increase in the number of people coming forward to train for social work qualifications. As I know that one issue that has been raised about the impact of the regulations is whether they will depress the supply of available social workers working with agencies that undertake that work, that is a welcome development. For the future of the social work profession and all that it serves, including the needs of looked-after children and those going forward for adoption, having a better resourced, staffed and qualified social work profession is of the utmost importance. I will come back to many of the points raised, but in conclusion, let me say that adoption can easily become an adult-focused activity, focused on meeting the needs of prospective adopters and birth relatives, but adoption is a service for children. More than 5,000 children are adopted in England and Wales each year; three out of five of those are looked-after children. Their voices should be heard. Their interests are always paramount. We believe that the regulations will help vulnerable children to move to loving homes much more easily. There is no more important task that we can promote here in Parliament. I am glad that the orders have been so widely welcomed and I commend them to the House. On Question, Motion agreed to.