The BBC's Lucy Atherton: No assessments of parents' suitability

The House of Commons gave an unopposed second reading to the proposed new law making it an offence to buy a child from abroad. The Bill has all-party support and government backing.

The legislation would also stop people adopting from overseas without the approval of social services.

Adoption is illegal in the UK unless done through an authorised agency. But there is no such restriction on adoption from overseas.

It is believed that around 100 couples in the UK each year adopt children from abroad without the approval of their local authorities.

Mark Oaten wants to bring adoptions from overseas into line with regulated adoption within the UK

In the UK, before a child is adopted the potential parents' suitablity, and the child's needs, are assessed.

The Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten, who is sponsoring the Bill, wants the same checks and legal restrictions to apply to overseas adoption, to end the unregulated "trafficking in children".

He says he wants to make sure only approved couples can adopt from abroad.

Mr Oaten said: "It's certainly not in the children's interest to be sold, trafficked or bought into the country late at night in the back of a car-boot.

"This Bill will make that an offence, but it will also speed up and make it easier for good couples to adopt from abroad."

During the debate, Conservative Nick St Aubyn told the House he supported the Bill but urged the government to produce "unequivocal" guidelines which would allow parents not selected to adopt a child in the UK to still adopt one from another country.

Accused of racism and of backing lower standards of care for children adopted from overseas, he said he had once worked as a volunteer in a children's home in a developing country, which he did not name.