LONDON - Measures to open up the adoption system and sweep away "fashionable theories" which prevent couples offering children a loving home were unveiled yesterday by the British government.
The Health Secretary, Mr Stephen Dorrell, said that under the new rules couples would have the to right to appeal if they were rejected as being unsuitable to adopt a child.
"Decisions about which parents are able to adopt children should reflect commonsense values that are widely shared throughout society, and shouldn't reflect the rather specialist and fashionable theories of a particular professional group," he said. "The changes I am announcing will help to remove political correctness from adoption and introduce more independence and transparency.
The announcement follows concern over a number of high profile cases where parents have been denied the right to adopt a child for reasons of education, age or race.
The changes, which come into force on April 1st, will ensure that couples will be told when their application is being considered by an adoption panel. They will receive a copy of their assessment report, which goes to the panel, and have an opportunity to respond to it in writing.