VULNERABLE children will have a better chance of finding permanent loving homes under plans by ministers to compel councils to sign up to Scotland's Adoption Register.

The Government-funded scheme was launched two years ago in a bid to increase the number of adoptions and to speed up an often lengthy process. Until it was established, local authorities's social services departments usually had to place children with adoptive families living in their area, but the register enables matches to be made across Scotland.

By the beginning of this year not all councils had joined, though most had taken part in some of its services.

In its response to the consultation on the Children and Young People Bill, the Scottish Government said 56% of respondents were in favour of the use of register being compulsory. Some 23% disagreed and 21% neither agreed or disagreed.

The report said while making use of the register compulsory would speed up the adoption process, there were drawbacks in terms of curtailing the variation in local approaches to adoption and limiting the discretion of individual councils on a case by case basis.

Children's charities last night welcomed the move by ministers. A spokeswoman for NSPCC Scotland said: "The main aim of the national register is to improve the efficiency of the process and shorten timescales.

"We urge the Scottish Government to balance the efficiency of decision making with the therapeutic and support needs of children, parents and carers."

However, the response from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities was more muted.

"What this will mean for local authorities that have already well-established local arrangements will have to be studied closely, and will require particular scrutiny by Parliament," said a spokesman.

Children in care can be put on the register once a decision has been made that they can be put up for adoption. If they have not been matched with a family after three months, it can search for a match anywhere in Scotland.

Last autumn the register, operated by the British Association For Adoption and Fostering, held "exchange days" for the first time in Scotland when couples hoping to adopt can see pictures and read profiles of children needing homes. By mid- January the exchange days had found permanent homes for nine children and identified possible matches identified for 12 more.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We are committed to ensuring the adoption process is as effective and efficient as possible."