The results of an official investigation into the effects of gay adoption in Scotland will not be made public, the Scottish Government has said.
Laws allowing same-sex couples to adopt were passed in 2006 and the Scottish Government now wants to allow gay fostering.
Ministers instigated an investigation into the effects of gay adoption on children last month.
It has now emerged that the results will not be published, sparking concerns that they may contain findings which would alarm the public.
The Scottish Government claims the findings are for ‘in-house’ use and therefore do not need to be disclosed.
The news broke after the Roman Catholic Church urged the Scottish Government to stop plans to allow same-sex couples becoming foster parents.
The gay adoption law will come into force this June, and the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland said it would be “misguided” to extend the law to allow gay fostering.
Cardinal O’Brien said: “The proposals are as misguided as the change to allow same-sex adoption.
“Since less than two per cent of the population is homosexual and a minority of this group are in a stable relationship, which would allow consideration as foster parents, it is difficult to see how the changes advocated can have any impact on widening the potential pool of foster families.”
The Christian Institute’s Mike Judge criticised the government for concealing the report on the effects of gay adoption.
He said: “This is an issue of massive public interest – we are talking about the country’s most vulnerable youngsters.
“We all deserve to know the outcome and the fact it is not being published will raise concern that ministers know their findings may alarm the public.”
Campaigners said a study into the potential outcomes should have been assessed properly before allowing same-sex adoption.
The issue of gay adoption returned to the fore last month after Edinburgh City Council told a couple who protested against their grandchildren being adopted by two gay men that they would not see the children again unless they dropped their opposition.
The children – a four-year-old girl and five-year-old boy – were placed with the gay couple despite there being heterosexual couples keen to adopt them.
A public outcry followed with politicians, commentators and campaigners asking why the Council had ignored evidence that children need a mother and a father.