An Inquiry into the Welfare of Former British Child Migrants was undertaken by the Parliament of the United Kingdom’s House of Commons Health Committee in 1997-98. In relation to Australia, the Inquiry was most interested in the fate of children who were sent from Britain in the twentieth century.
The inquiry and its report (known as ‘Health Committee – Third Report’ 1998) focused on:
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.