Oral Answers to Questions — Town and Country Planning – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 29 March 1945.
Mr. Keelinã:
asked the Minister of Pensions whether he allows the adoption of war orphans not already in the care of relatives; how long is the waiting list of persons who wish to adopt them; and how many war orphans have been placed in public or charitable institutions.
Mr Walter Womersley
, Grimsby
I have no general objection to the legal adoption of war orphans, but in view of the serious issues involved for the adopting parents and the child I do not give my support to a proposed adoption until an adequate period of trial has shown that it is likely to be a practical success. If satisfied after a reasonable period that adoption would be for the child's permanent benefit, I have supported it. The waiting list of people anxious to adopt war orphans numbers just over 3,000. The number of war orphans under my control who have been placed in public or charitable institutions is seven, and in each instance there is some special reason why the child cannot be placed in a private home. There are, of course, some war orphans who are receiving the benefit of secondary education at one or other of the well-known charitable schools and spend their vacation with relatives or friends.
Mr Walter Womersley
, Grimsby
Certainly. I think it is most essential that I should be thoroughly assured that the child will suit the foster parents, and that the foster parents will suit the child, before allowing adoption.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
