Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has asked the Prime Minister to establish a national telephone line for victims of forced adoption who are unable to access support and information digitally.
The exchange followed a statement in the House of Commons in which the Prime Minister formally apologised, on behalf of the Government, to the tens of thousands of mothers who were coerced, bullied or misled into believing they had no choice but to give up their babies for adoption.
The Prime Minister also announced a new online resource that will act as a single access point to help people locate adoption records wherever they are held.
Tom thanked the Prime Minister for the apology and acknowledged that nothing can undo the harm already caused.
He pressed the Prime Minister on what support would be available to those who are digitally excluded, and asked whether a national hotline could be created so that all victims, not just those online, could access the records and support being made available.
The Prime Minister confirmed that a National Advice Line will be established to help everyone affected, including those who have not yet come forward, to access support in the way that works best for them.
The practice of pressuring single mothers into giving up their children for adoption was particularly prevalent between 1949 and 1976, though it continued beyond those years.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that some women experienced treatment that amounted to exploitation and abuse, and said that the shame they were made to feel was never theirs to carry – it belonged to the State.
Tom said:
I welcome this long overdue apology and the work the Government has set out today to provide information and support to mothers, and to their now grown-up children, who were victims of forced adoption.
The Prime Minister’s commitment to a National Advice Line will ensure that no one is left behind because they can’t get online.
This apology must now be followed by real, practical action, so that these injustices are never repeated.
