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For Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith the issue of same sex and unmarried adoptions has done nothing but harm his attempts to unite the party, writes David Callaghan.

The rebellion by several high profile colleagues in a parliamentary vote on whether same sex and unmarried couples should be allowed to adopt children, prompted a crisis in the Tory party with talk of a challenge to Duncan Smith. Shadow cabinet minister John Bercow resigned because he could not back his leader in opposing the widening of adoption law.

In all the fuss about whether Duncan Smith had the makings of a future prime minister it seemed to be forgotten that an important principle of adoption law was at stake. It was also overlooked that single gay people could already adopt children.

Eventually of course, despite stern resistance from the House of Lords, an amendment to the Adoption and Children Bill put forward by David Hinchliffe MP, was passed by both houses of parliament and included in the bill which has now become law.

Recent research by Baaf Adoption and Fostering showed that of 430 children studied not a single adoption enquiry was made of 129, and for eight children the only enquiry came from unmarried or same sex couples.

There is a shortage of couples suitable to adopt children, and the situation could be helped by a widening of the eligbility criteria, as BAAF argued in representations to MPs.

The move is popular with the public. A recent MORI survey showed that 82 per cent of cohabiting couples and 68 per cent of married couples agree that unmarried couples should be allowed to adopt.

Also, the government is desperate to increase the number of adoptions by up to 50 per cent and the more couples that are eligible the better as far as ministers are concerned.

Health minister Jacqui Smith said of the new act: "It will underpin our drive to speed up the adoption process and deliver our target for a 40 per cent increase, and if possible a 50 per cent increase, in the number of children who are adopted."

The amendment was put forward by former social worker David Hinchliffe MP, who chairs the House of Commons health select committee.

He was pleased the Conservatives had got themselves into such a tangle over his proposal, but more satisfied that it had finally gone through despite stiff opposition from the Lords.

"Having done social work myself I can see this is in the best interests of the child," he said.

He defended same sex couple adoptions: "Everyone should have a mother and father, but unfortunately a lot of people don't, and we don't live in an ideal world.

"There are many children languishing in a children's home who would love a stable relationship," he said.

So long-awaited legislation on adoption, which was postponed because of last year's general election is finally on the statute book. It will be welcomed by many, but not by the Conservative leader who is left to rue his ill-fated attempt to block its progress.

The main measures in the the new Adoption and Children Act are:

- aligning adoption law with the Children Act 1989 to make the child's welfare the paramount consideration in all decisions to do with adoption;

- encourage more people to adopt looked after children by helping to ensure that the support they need is available;

- allow unmarried couples to be able to apply to adopt a child jointly, after they have been subject to a rigorous assessment process that will also apply to married couples and single people wishing to adopt;

- establish a new independent review mechanism for prospective adopters who feel they have been turned down unfairly;

- tighten up controls and safeguards on intercountry adoption;

- provide for access to information held in adoption records so that adopted adults and their adult birth relatives may apply for information which could be disclosed if consent is given; and

- place duty on local authorities to arrange advocacy services for looked after children in the context of complaints.

To read a full text of the Adoption and Children Act and the parliamentary debates click here

Meanwhile, Ruth Fasht, director of the Adoption Register, has defended its performance despite latest figures showing that the children it puts forward for adoption have a one in 35 chance of finding parents, writes Derren Hayes.

Eight months into being fully operational, only nine out of the 317 children the register has proposed to adoption agencies to link with parents on their books, have resulted in a ‘match’ taking place.

Speaking at the Baaf Adoption and Fostering conference, Fasht said the 317 children put forward were still "very good bets" to match with prospective parents, but added that the register should not be judged on how many matches are made.

"Our job is to generate viable links between potential adopters and children that have so far been impossible to place," Fasht said. "It is up to agencies to turn links into matches."

Latest figures show the register has 2,482 children and 2,230 prospective adopters on it.

The majority of children on the register are from traditionally hard to place groups such as older boys, those with special needs and of black and ethnic minority origin.