The British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering has called for adoption agencies to be given Government guidance on what information they can give to people tracing relatives.

A BAAF spokesperson told Community Care magazine: "Clear guidance is needed to help the adoption agencies decide whether to reveal confidential information about an adopted child's birth family to adoptees.

"Currently that decision is left to the discretion of the agency and there is consequently much variation in practice."

Their call follows the case of Linda Gunn-Russo who went to the High Court last week to force the agency that dealt with her adoption in 1948 to give her access to confidential files.

In 1999, the society refused to let her see information about her late adoptive parents and her late birth mother.

She is currently awaiting the ruling on the case which was brough under the Human Rights Act.

See also

Grandmother awaits judge's ruling