To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the voluntary organisation agencies which may arrange overseas adoptions and (b) the charges made by each local authority for providing home study reports.

The Department has written to all approved adoption societies explaining that we would be willing to discuss with them proposals for the development of arrangements for inter-country adoption. Social services departments and approved adoption societies are also encouraged to co-operate in the provision of inter-country adoption services.Copies of the letter are available in the Library, together with a list of approved adoption societies.The level of charges to meet the cost of assessment of adopters and of reports in connection with inter-country adoption are a matter for local authorities and for approved societies which provide reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what post-adoption monitoring procedures are recommended by his Department to local authorities with regard to the adoption of children from abroad by British citizens.

There is no provision in adoption law or practice for monitoring of any adoptive family after a court has made an adoption order, although post-adoption support can be provided, where needed, in accordance with section 1 of the Adoption Act 1976. The adoption of children from overseas is among the topics on which the Department expects to commission research.