Adult and Cultural Services

Library Headquarters  Arroyo Block  The Castle

Carlisle  CA3 8UR  Fax 01228 607299

Tel 01228 227282  Email [email address]

Date: 8 October 2009

Ref: JG/OMG

Dear Ms Stewart

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FOI 2009- 385

CORPORATE COMPLAINT CCC/03883-09

You emailed Cumbria County Council on 11 September with a Freedom of Information request for information about “Looked after Children who were placed for forced adoption, without the consent of their birth parents, by Cumbria County Council Children's Services in 2008”.

In our response of 1 October you were provided with an answer to the above question and to the supplementary questions you had asked. Our response was based on the statement that forced adoptions do not exist.

You have now challenged the information with which you were provided, your main point of contention being that forced adoptions do exist. I have been asked to review our original response on your behalf.

Having read through the paperwork, I am unable to see how the statistics with which you were provided originally can be challenged. However, it seems that this is an occasion where we will have to agree to differ about what you term a forced adoption.

I am very sorry if our response has inadvertently caused you any distress. The member of staff in Children's Services who provided the answer to your question meant no offence when stating that forced adoption does not exist. That answer was provided in good faith based on the understanding and knowledge that the member of staff has of the adoption system and how it operates in Cumbria. It is important to point out that all of Cumbria County Council's Directorates operate within a legal framework established by the Government of the United Kingdom.

If you have cause to dispute the way in which looked after children are placed for adoption generally, you should take the matter up with your local Member of Parliament and ask that he or she pursues the matter with the appropriate Department of State. Cumbria County Council will continue to operate within the current legal framework for adoptions until such time as that framework is overhauled or altered completely.

Please accept my apologies once again if our original response has inadvertently caused you any distress but I can see no valid reason to recommend that our answer to your request be altered.

Yours sincerely

Jim Grisenthwaite

Head of Culture

Building pride in Cumbria

Building pride in Cumbria