Fewer children in council care are being adopted despite Government pressure for them to be found new homes.

Only seven per cent of youngsters in East Sussex County Council care homes were adopted in the year to March 2001, a fall of three per cent on the previous year.

A total of 35 children were found permanent homes, compared to 45 the previous year, according to Depart-ment of Health figures.

It means East Sussex falls short of the best-performing local authorities, such as Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, where up to 16 per cent are adopted.

Brighton and Hove City Council and West Sussex County Council were also lagging behind but both showed signs of improvement.

In Brighton and Hove, 30 youngsters, or eight per cent, were adopted in 2001, an increase of ten on the previous year, or two per cent. A total of 40, or six per cent, of the children in the care of West Sussex were adopted last year, up two per cent from 35.

Last summer, the Government unveiled new national standards designed to end the scandal of youngsters left languishing in care homes.

Councils were told to assess suitability for adoption and make a recommendation within six months of a child entering care. They face a further target of finding a match with adoptive parents within a further six months.

A new Adoption and Permanency Taskforce is being set up with power to strip councils which lag behind of adoption powers.

Under the Adoption and Children Bill going through Parliament, all three local authorities in Sussex will be expected to match the best performers by 2004/5.

The Government wants to increase adoptions by 40 per cent, helped by a new register to link suitable families with children.