Letter: Congratulations, Clare, but new Adoption Bill will send us back to bad old days

Sir: Congratulations to Clare Short and Toby Graham on their reunion. For Clare, her wait is over. Sadly, however, if Toby had not searched for her, she would still be suffering her painful loss in silence, as are many other birth parents.

The Contact Register is only of limited value, as so few know of its existence. Is it not time that the law concerning contact between adults after adoption were revised, to enable the birth parent to have identifying information once the adoptee is 18 or possibly 25?

It is not only birth parents who are affected by adoption - grandparents, brothers and sisters too are separated. The proposed Adoption Bill is an ideal opportunity to address this issue.

SUE GREENWOOD

Royton, Greater Manchester