Children’s minister Edward Timpson has said the controversial plans will help to speed up the adoption process

Councils creating regional adoption agencies will be boosted by £4.5m extra funding, the Department for Education has announced.

Voluntary and local authority adoption agencies ready to go regional during the 2015-16 financial year will be able to access the fund to help the process, announced children’s minister Edward Timpson.

Local adoption agencies and voluntary adoption agencies who have an initial idea for how they want to work regionally can also apply for the funding.