Dear Adopted Adults, Birth Relatives, Adoption Agencies and Post Care Adults,
The Government is currently trying to decide whether or not to abolish the Edited Electoral Register (EER). The EER is the primary means by which adopted adults, local authorities, adoption support agencies and voluntary adoption agencies search for relatives lost through adoption and the care system. Without this valuable tool, it will become extremely difficult to trace people and make contact in a responsible way.
Since the implementation of The Adoption and Children Act 2002, Section 98, adopted adults and birth relatives have the right to ask for an intermediary service so they may be put in touch with the person they are looking for. The abolition of the EER will have a detrimental impact on this service. Without the EER, adoption agencies may not be able to fulfill their obligations under this primary legislation because searching for and locating the long-lost adopted adult or birth relative will become extremely difficult.
If you are at all concerned about this important issue, then please write to, or email, as a matter of some urgency, your local MP (contact details can be found on the UK Parliament website – http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps), and also send a copy to Mark Harper MP at The Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, London
SW1A 2AS, or email psmarkharper@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk. Mark Harper is the Government Minister at the Cabinet Office who is responsible for making this decision.