News@www.adoption-net.co.uk
This story published May 10, 2001

Adoption Bill is shelved

The Government has been forced to abandon the Adoption and Children Act because of the general election - but this should have little impact on its journey into the statute books.

It is one of seven Bills that have been shelved. Another to fall is the homes bill, which would have placed a duty on local authorities to provide continuing support to care leavers.

The announcement was made by Lords chief whip Lord Carter who told peers that eight other Bills, which have yet to complete their Lords' stages, will become law

Three are expected to complete their Lords stages this week - in time for the official dissolution of Parliament on Monday - including the Children's Commissioner for Wales Bill.

Shelving Bills is only likely to have any significant effect on those that do not have cross-party support, such as the bill to ban hunting which was among the seven to be abandoned, and if Labour were to lose the election.

The adoption bill, however, has cross-party support so it is likely to become law regardless of who wins the election.

A spokeswoman for the Adotion and Children Act Commons select committee said it was always known that the adoption bill would fail to make it through to law in one session of Parliament.

The only effect the measure was likely to have was in the make-up of the select committee as some MPs may not be re-elected, she added

The Adoption and Children Bill is available on the Parliamentary website.

More information and evidence presented to the select committee can be found on its website.