Fact Sheet #9: HANSARD

Dr Peter Brand MP, Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, during a debate on Children’s Social Services. February 3 2000.

‘The Select Committee on Health studied the way in which migrant children used to be treated.

The emotional, economic and other pressures that were put on parents to give up their children for adoption are horrifying.

Such treatment is not unique to migrant children or the past.

Young women are still put under pressure. They are not told about the benefits that may be available and are pushed - perhaps not by social services departments but by other organisations - to give up their children for adoption.

I know that many women still feel guilty about having given in to the awful pressure that they were put under some thirty years ago.

We owe those women an apology for not protecting them and allowing them to look after their children.

Whatever happens to the benefits system, I hope that women will not be put in the invidious position of being told that the only way in which their child will be properly cared for is if they give it up for adoption.This cannot be acceptable in a country such as ours.’

‘Parliamentary copyright material from Hansard is reproduced with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office on the behalf of Parliament.’

Copyright © Patricia Basquill, 2002 - 2008