Amendments proposed to the Adoption and Children Bill - continued	House of Commons
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Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

68

*     Clause     3,     page     4,     line     6,     at end add—

    '(7)   Extra costs incurred by local authorities in the maintenance of an adoption service will be provided by either Central Government, other relevant and interested agencies or a combination of both.'.

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Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

69

*     Clause     4,     page     4,     line     18,     leave out from 'services' to end of line 19 and insert 'the local authority has the duty to provide suitable services to that person.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

70

*     Clause     4,     page     4,     line     19,     after 'person', insert 'and provide a written explanation of their reasons if those support services will not be forthcoming.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

71

*     Clause     4,     page     4,     line     20,     leave out subsection (5) and insert—

    '(5)   If a local authority decides that a person has need for adoption support services, the local authority must prepare a plan in accordance with which adoption support services are being provided to the person and keep the plan under regular review.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

72

*     Clause     4,     page     4,     line     42,     after 'conditions', insert 'as long as the well-being of any person with regard to adoption support services is not affected and there is no avoidable delay.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

51

*     Clause     4,     page     4,     line     43,     after 'conditions', insert 'and provide for a review of a decision not to provide adoption support services'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

73

*     Clause     4,     page     5,     line     18,     after 'authority', insert 'and they will have a parallel duty along with the local authority to provide the necessary service.'.

   

Mr Robert Walter

2

Clause     8,     page     7,     leave out line 17.

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Mr Robert Walter

3

Clause     11,     page     9,     line     9,     leave out 'prescribe' and insert 'recommend'.

   

Mr Robert Walter

4

Clause     11,     page     9,     line     16,     leave out 'prescribe' and insert 'recommend'.

   

Mr Robert Walter

5

Clause     11,     page     9,     line     18,     at end insert—

    '( )   Regulations under section 9 may prescribe the requirement for adoption agencies and local authorities to publish their fees.'.

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Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

58

*     Clause     12,     page     9,     line     25,     leave out 'may' and insert 'shall'.

   

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

87

*     Clause     12,     page     9,     line     29,     leave out 'must' and insert 'shall'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

59

*     Clause     12,     page     9,     line     29,     leave out subsection (2) and insert—

    '(2)   All determinations are qualifying determinations for the purposes of subsection (1).'.

   

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

82

*     Clause     12,     page     9,     line     31,     leave out 'may' and insert 'shall'.

   

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

83

*     Clause     12,     page     9,     line     42,     at end insert—

'(g)   maximum time limits for convening a panel as required for each type of qualifying determination.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

49

*     Clause     12,     page     9,     line     43,     after second 'an', insert 'independent'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

50

*     Clause     12,     page     9,     line     44,     after second 'the', insert 'independent'.

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Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

55

*     Clause     115,     page     65,     line     3,     leave out 'may' and insert 'shall'.

   

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

78

*     Clause     115,     page     65,     line     9,     leave out 'may' and insert 'shall'.

   

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

89

*     Clause     115,     page     65,     line     9,     after 'disclosed', insert 'in each case written 1 month of suitability being ascertained.'.

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Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

52

*     Clause     57,     page     32,     line     37,     leave out 'As soon as practicable after the making of an adoption order' and insert 'At the time of making'.

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Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

6

Clause     58,     page     33,     line     15,     leave out subsection (4).

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

7

Clause     58,     page     33,     line     20,     leave out subsection (6).

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Tim Loughton
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Julian Brazier

8

Clause     59,     page     33,     line     31,     leave out subsection (3).

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Mr Andrew Turner

11

Clause     126,     page     70,     line     20,     at end insert—

    '( )   In the case of an application for a placement order, for the variation or revocation of such an order, or for an adoption order, the rules must require that the court or adoption agency make available to the legal representatives of the parent or guardian of any child subject to such an application all records used by the court or adoption agency in relation to that proceeding.'.

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REMAINING NEW CLAUSES

Interviews with children

   

Mr Andrew Turner

NC1

To move the following Clause—

    '   In the case of an application for a placement order, for the variation or revocation of such an order, or for an adoption order, no interview which is conducted with a child shall be relied upon in proceedings unless supported by a video or audio recording of that interview.'.

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Considerations applying to the exercise of powers

   

Tim Loughton
Mr Julian Brazier
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Robert Walter
Mr Jonathan Djanogly

NC2

*     To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   This section applies whenever a court or adoption agency is coming to a decision relating to the adoption of a child other than in proceedings under Part IV of the Children Act 1989.

    (2)   The child's welfare throughout his life shall be the paramount consideration.

    (3)   At all times when any question with respect to the adoption of a child arises, the court or adoption agency shall have regard to the general principle that any delay in determining the question is likely to prejudice the welfare of the child.

    (4)   The court or adoption agency shall have regard in particular to—

(a)   the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child concerned (considered in the light of his age and understanding);

(b)   his physical, emotional and educational needs;

(c)   the likely effect on him (throughout his life) of any changes in his circumstances;

(d)   his age, sex, background and any characteristics of his which the court considers relevant;

(e)   any harm which he has suffered or is at risk of suffering;

(f)   the relationship which the child has with relatives (including mother, father, siblings or half-siblings) and any other person in relation to whom the court or adoption agency considers the relationship (legal or otherwise) to be relevant, including:

(i)   the likelihood of any such relationship continuing and the value to the child of its doing so,

(ii)   the capability of any such person to meet the child's needs,

(iii)   the wishes and feelings of any such person regarding the child.

(g)   the range of powers available under this Act and under the Children Act 1989 and the principle that the court shall not make any order unless it considers that making the order would be better for the child than not doing so.

    (5)   In placing the child for adoption, the adoption agency must give due consideration to the child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background, subject to the proviso that such consideration shall be secondary to the matters to be considered in subsections (2) and (3).

    (6)   In this section, coming to a decision relating to the adoption of a child" in relation to a court includes—

(a)   coming to a decision in any proceedings other than those under Part IV of the Children Act 1989 where the orders that might be made by the court include an adoption order or placement order or the revocation of a placement order or an order dispensing with parental consent,

(b)   coming to a decision about granting leave in respect of any action which may be taken by an adoption agency or individual under this Act other than the initiation of proceedings in any court.'.

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Prepared 23 Nov 2001