8th Report - Historical Forced Adoption

Select Committee
Education Committee HC 1713 27 March 2026
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 23 items (19 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 23 of 23 classified)
Accepted 13
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 4
Government response
2nd Special Report - Historical Forced Adoption: Government Response · published 9 Jul 2026
Read the government response ↗ Response on the tracker
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Recommendations & Conclusions

6 results
14 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government must listen to and engage with survivors of forced adoption practices.
Recommendation
The Government must listen to and engage with survivors of forced adoption practices. The Government should commit to a survivor engagement strategy that guarantees regular consultation and clear lines of accountability, both in the short term as the Government works … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the principle, stating it has already undertaken and will continue structured engagement. It commits to maintaining ongoing dialogue, co-developing communications and guidance, and considering mechanisms for accountability.
Department for Education
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17 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government must take steps to ensure that all affected individuals receive timely, consistent and...
Recommendation
The Government must take steps to ensure that all affected individuals receive timely, consistent and transparent access to adoption records. This obligation should be underpinned by clear statutory duties requiring every record-holding body to maintain accurate records and meet nationally … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, committing to support a national platform for locating adoption records and strengthening expectations on record-holding bodies through endorsing best practice. They will review progress before considering further regulatory or legislative steps.
Department for Education
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20 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government must introduce a nationally funded and regulated intermediary service to ensure that all...
Recommendation
The Government must introduce a nationally funded and regulated intermediary service to ensure that all adoptees and birth relatives have access to skilled, trauma-informed professionals who can support them in navigating contact, reunion, or information-sharing processes safely and sensitively. As … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, committing to expand access to funded intermediary services for historical cases and support national virtual peer-support groups, but does not address the regulation of ancestry tracing sites.
Department for Education
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21 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government must introduce a dedicated, trauma-informed health pathway for all those affected by historical...
Recommendation
The Government must introduce a dedicated, trauma-informed health pathway for all those affected by historical forced adoption. This should include improved access to specialist psychological support for birth mothers and adult adoptees, national clinical guidance recognising the heightened prevalence of … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, committing to strengthen access to trauma-informed care through existing NHS pathways by co-producing materials, improving clinician awareness, and enhancing signposting. They do not commit to a dedicated new health pathway.
Department for Education
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22 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Adult adoptees told us that one of the harms they experienced was the loss of...
Recommendation
Adult adoptees told us that one of the harms they experienced was the loss of their health records. The Government should introduce an adoption marker on health records so that requests for medical history can be sensitively handled and additional … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government accepts in principle, committing that NHS England will explore how patients can have their forced adoption experience recorded in health records. This includes improving clinician responses, providing clearer guidance on screening, and enhancing understanding of adoption-related needs.
Department for Education
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23 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government should commission and fund independent research into historical forced adoption, including quantitative and...
Recommendation
The Government should commission and fund independent research into historical forced adoption, including quantitative and qualitative studies on outcomes and on best practice for support interventions, to build a comprehensive evidence base that informs future policy decisions and improves support … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, committing to commission a testimonials project and improve how relevant information is recorded within existing systems to build an evidence base. It will take a phased approach to further research, keeping the need for large-scale studies under review.
Department for Education
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