We are very pleased that section 14A of clause 110(1) makes provision for the joint application of unmarried couples to become special guardians. We are very saddened however that the bill does not recognise the right of adopted children and young people to a lifelong and legally recognised relationship with both parents where they are being brought up within a stable long-term partnership. In practice we know that children are often placed with couples who are not married to each other and who parent children jointly, perhaps reflecting the reality that since 1992 the number of children born to unmarried parents in the UK has steadily increased. If we restrict joint adoption to married adults we can only reduce the opportunity for children to find adoptive parents. We firmly believe that this is an issue about the rights of children to family life as defined within article 8 of the Human Rights Act.