spudtater | Response to Adoption Bill melarkey. (Reply)

In response to an email about last-minute changes to the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill:

From Kenny MacAskill:

"Dear Mr panayotopoulos
I will be supporting the bill and opposing the amendments. That is the position of both the SNP and the SNP group.
We are doing so as the ethos of the law of Scotland with regard to adoption views the care and welfare of the child as paramount. The sexualitt[sic] of prospective parents is therefore an irrelevancy and must remain so.
I will be voting neither to pander to homophoboa[sic] nor to pursue an equalities agenda but to address the principle before us of the welfare of the child. The criteria is a loving home for the child not the social mores or moral values of some adults."
Kenny MacAskill

And after a "thank you" mail:

"Happy to do so. Given that in my experience most childrenfree for adoption are not cherubic babies bit often troubled or disabled we should be grateful for a loving home not impugn the intentions or integrity of thsoe so offering."

Bonus points for rapid response (apparently thanks to a "Scottish Parliamentary handheld device"), for answering his mail himself, and for not employing purely cut-and-paste responses!

From Fiona Hyslop:

"I will not be voting for these amendments.
Thank you for contacting me. The bulk of this Bill is to provide much updating of law on adoption to make the law fir for the 21st century and the current experience of children in need of care. It also introduces a much need national fostering allowance. It also brings in the importance development of a permanence order

The Bill has been subject to debate and amendment in the Committee of which I am a member at Stage 2 to make sure we have adoption law fit for purpose to improve the experience of children who may be adopted.

It is important to recognise that the approach taken by this Bill ensures that the interests of the child are paramount. All prospective adoptive parents must undergo a very rigorous assessment process to determine their suitability to adopt a child. A great deal of care is taken to ensure that individual children will be matched with suitable adoptive parents.

The fact that Bill extends the pool of adopters beyond married couples is to be welcomed given that nowadays there are many alternative family arrangements which can provide security and stability in the best interests of children.

As a married person with 3 children I have chosen marriage as the family arrangement to bring up my children, but I am not prepared to rule out opportunities for vulnerable children, many of them subjected to abuse or neglect by their natural parents, to find loving homes with parents who are suitable in every way except for marital status or gender.

On the question of adoption by same sex couples it should be pointed out that gay or lesbian people can already legally adopt as individuals. Allowing joint adoption for same sex couples will increase the legal protection available to children and will recognise the parenting contribution made by both partners in a couple.

Finally, the SNP has sought and been given assurances on behalf of faith based adoption agencies that there is nothing in the Bill that will require them to operate in conflict with their faith. If they do not wish to provide their services to unmarried or same sex couples, referral on to other agencies would be perfectly appropriate."

Double points for the SNP for promptness!

From Peter McColl, on behalf of Mark Ballard:

"Dear Alex,

Thank you for your email. Mark Ballard has asked me to respond to your email.

In advance of the parliamentary debate tomorrow on adoption, Green MSP Patrick Harvie has appealed across the political spectrum to reject moves to re-introduce prejudice on the adoption of children by same sex couples. Harvie says that the adoption of children into a loving family based on individual circumstances is the paramount objective - and to suggest that same sex couples are somehow incapable of this, or 'second class', is grossly intolerant and discriminatory and has no place in a civilised 21st Century Scotland.

Mr Harvie said: "I think the proponents of discrimination are shameful and an affront to a civilised, modern Scotland. Discrimination was wrong yesterday and it is also wrong today. It is a shame there are those who still cling desperately to every last scrap of inequality - they should move on and join the rest of us in the 21st century.

"Tomorrow's vote on Roseanna Cunningham's amendments to reintroduce the ban on joint adoption by same sex couples will be important for two reasons. It will give us the opportunity to restate the principle that each child's best interests in their individual circumstances, rather than irrational prejudice, are paramount. But it will also show clearly to lesbian, gay and bisexual voters which of their representatives still regard them as second class citizens, and as the second class parents of second class children."

I trust this addresses your concerns."

Best wishes,
Peter.

Well, a bit cookie-cutter, but a braver response than that of the SNP.

Edit: proposals have been defeated! Woo!