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Ms Hodge has answered my MP's letter, She believes that the recent
consultation was adequate.
She says:
".... Mr Harritt also makes the point that the consultation exercise
on the draft regulations and guidance did not meet the guidance in the Code
of Practice on Consultation. I am unable to accept this point. First, the
Code of Practice requires that we consult widely through out [sic] the
process, allowing a minimum twelve weeks for written consultation. The
consultation period on the access to information proposals totalled four
months and the document was made widely available through the adoption
website, the DfES e-consultation site and in hard copy format. Second, the
consultation document also received significant media coverage through the
national press, television and radio as well as in the relevant professional
journals. I do however admit that some stakeholders experienced delays in
obtaining hard copies of the consultation document and officials have
pursued these complaints with the department's distribution company, Prolog.
Where there was a significant delay in obtaining a hard copy of the
document, we allowed stakeholders to submit their consultation responses
beyond the deadline date of 31 July.
As I am sure Mr Harritt will appreciate, the access to information
provisions represent one of the most complex and emotive areas of the
Adoption and Children Act. That is why we need the input of stakeholders to
help shape the final document and ensure it is clear, concise and workable.
I am satisfied that any person with an interest in adoption was given ample
opportunity to submit their views. We received a large number of responses
from a wide range of people involved in adoption - including adoption
professionals, adopted people, adoptive parents and birth relatives. We are
now looking carefully at the comments and suggestions that have been
submitted as work is taken forward to finalise the regulations and guidance
by the end of this year. We will be providing feedback on those responses as
required by the Code of Practice...."
If anyone disagrees with Ms Hodge that this has been an adequate
consultation or that it has complied with the Code of Practice which was
outlined at the end of the Feedback form for the consultation, (and the same
applies to the consultation on Adoption Support Services and Adoption
Support Agencies Regulations) please make your views known to Ms Margaret
Hodge MP at dfes.ministers@dfes.gsi.gov.uk and if you feel inclined to make
a formal complaint about just how poor the consultations have been then you
can make a formal complaint in the first instance to:
David Holmes, Divisional Manager,
DfES, Looked After Children Division
Room 101 Wellington House,
133-155 Waterloo Road,
London SE1 8UG.
Perhaps then she will take another look at their definition of
"stakeholders in adoption" various social work organisations may well have
been given a say, few of us who are genuinely affected by this legislation
have been.
Robin Harritt
[url]http://harritt.net[/url]
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