A support group has supported the launch of a new computer index that will help families in Britain track down relatives lost through the discredited child migrants scheme.

Thousands of former British child migrants were shipped to various British colonies between 1913 and 1968 from children's homes or to escape the blitz in the Second World War.

Those sent to Australia often ended up in orphanages where they suffered sexual, physical or emotional abuse or were forced to work as slave labour. Many were told, untruthfully, that their parents were dead - something they believed.

But now some migrants have discovered that they do still have families in Britain who want to be reunited.

Yesterday, their efforts were given a helping hand by as Australia officials handed to the British government a list of the migrants who were resettled in Western Australia.

The index lists the names of 2,947 children, along with their date of birth, the name of the ship they left on from Britain or Malta, the date of arrival in Western Australia and where they were initially placed.

According to the International Association of Former Child Migrants, this is the first time the British authorities have had solid proof of the identities of these children.

"It is a disgrace that the British Government have apparently been unaware until today of the identities of this large group of children. How could this have happened?" said Norman Johnston, president of the association.

He added: "Our hope is that the Australian Senate Inquiry in Child Migration will investigate this and other human rights abuses in some detail. We will continue to fight for justice for our members."

Altogether about 150,000 children shipped from the UK to help populate the British colonies of Canada, Rhodesia, New Zealand and Australia.

So far 72 former child migrants have contacted the Western Australian government in Perth for help in tracing their British families.

Two years ago the Western Australian government apologised to former British child migrants for the abuse they suffered in orphanages and institutions.

The new computer index was presented by the Hon Clive Griffiths, the Agent General for Western Australia, in London.

"Former child migrants have indicated that any information, no matter how scant it appears to others, is important in their search for information about their past," he said.

"The WA Referral Index does not include actual records. It identifies the location of these records from where further information about the child and their family of origin may be obtained."

To ensure confidentiality of the records, protocols relating to the release of information on the index have been negotiated with the 10 organisations in Western Australia holding the records.

Mr Griffiths said he appreciated the willingness of the British government to share information with the government of Western Australia in cases where it can be established that former child migrants were sent to Western Australia.

In these cases the British government will provide the name of the sending agency and indicate where any available records on the former child migrants are in the United Kingdom.

"The provision of this 'front end' data from the UK will complete the information loop and assist former child migrants who were sent to Western Australia to discover their past," Mr Griffiths said.

"I am sure this co-operation will be appreciated by the individuals and families concerned," he added.