Inquiry into the Welfare of Former British Child Migrants (1997 - 1998)

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The inquiry and its report (known as 'Health Committee - Third Report' 1998) focused on:

• The experiences of people who had been sent to Australia as child migrants
• The role of the 'sending' agencies at the time of sending and at the time of the inquiry
• The role of 'receiving' agencies when they 'cared' for the children, and at the time of the inquiry
• The role of governments in child migration, and at the time of the inquiry
• Records relating to the migration and placement of children
• Access to records by former child migrants
• Family separation, family tracing and reunion
• The services and other support mechanisms available and necessary for former child migrants and their families of origin

During the Inquiry, members of the Committee visited Perth to hear 'evidence' in public sessions and meet with former child migrants privately.

One key outcome of this inquiry in Western Australia was the creation of the WA government's Former Child Migrants Referral Index. That index matches records for child migrants held in WA with records known to be held in the UK.