Baroness Sally Hamwee has tabled an amendment to the Children and Families Bill to enable descendants of deceased adopted people to obtain information about the birth records of their adopted relative.
It takes the form of a new clause which would alter the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
Children and Families Bill
After Clause 6 - Insert new clause
(1)Section 98 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 is amended as follows.
(2)Omit paragraph (a) of section 98(1) and insert –
(a) assisting
(i)persons adopted before the appointed day
(ii)the descendants of persons adopted before the appointed day
who have attained the age of 18 to obtain information in relation to the adoption of the adopted person”
This amendment would grant descendants of deceased adopted people the same rights as other birth relatives to request access to intermediary services in order to obtain the information they need. The financial impact on government of such a change would be neutral because the infrastructure to handle these applications is already in place.
This amendment will be debated at the committee stage of the Bill, in the House of Lords, probably on 9 October 2013.
Anyone else too wet for seed potatoes?