Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve the process of adoption. [37014]

Tim Loughton MP; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State [holding answer 31 January 2011]: The Government expect the adoption system to work effectively for all looked after children who would benefit from this permanence option, and wants to see all local authorities performing at the level of the best. That is why I have set up a Ministerial Advisory Group on Adoption to provide expert advice on a range of practical proposals to improve and share practice. In November 2010, I wrote to directors of Children's Services and lead members to ask them to do everything possible to increase the number of children appropriately placed for adoption, and to improve the speed with which decisions are made.

On 22 February I published revised statutory guidance on adoption. This is an important element in the Government's programme of reform to support adoption agencies in removing barriers to adoption and reducing delay. The guidance takes account of recent case law and reflects key messages from the "Adoption Research Initiative", which provides a robust evidence base for adoption practice, including permanence planning, family finding and matching of children and prospective adopters. I also recently hosted a roundtable event with a group of adopters to hear about their experiences of the adoption process and how it can be improved.

In addition, the Family Justice Review is considering what changes are needed to the system including how best to ensure that delays in determining the outcomes of court applications are kept to a minimum. The interim report is due at the end of March and the final report in October 2011. In the meantime, I will continue to discuss with the president of the Family Division how cases can be better handled in the context of the current legal framework.