Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologizes in the House of Commons for the forced adoption of about 185K babies in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976, calling it a stain on the nation and a state failure.The government announces a £4M package to open adoption records, fund intermediary services to reconnect families, expand mental health support and finance research, and establishes a reference group to monitor progress.The apology follows years of campaigning by survivors, earlier apologies from the Church of England and the Catholic Church, and a 2022 parliamentary human rights committee finding that the state was ultimately responsible.Starmer met affected mothers at
Downing Street and pledged further inquiries and reparative steps to investigate the institutional practices in health, social care, faith-based institutions and local authorities.