 that local authority of the transfer. This requirement is intended to ensure that clear signposting exists in respect of the former VAA’s case records. It is important that former clients of a VAA that has ceased to operate are able to locate easily that agency’s case records in the event that they wish to make an application for the disclosure of information. This recognises that persons may seek information many years after a VAA has ceased to exist. Disclosure for purposes of agency’s functions or for research: AIR 8 11.21. AIR 8.1 provides an adoption agency with the discretion to disclose any background information from the section 56 information it holds as it thinks fit for the purposes of its functions. 11.22. The general discretion provided by this regulation may be used by the agency to provide a range of people – such as the birth parents, other birth relatives, former carers, or others who may have played a significant part in the child’s life – with information about the child. Such information should only normally be shared by the agency with the full knowledge and agreement of the adoptive parents while the adopted person is still a child. This could be information about:  their progress within the adoptive family;  their general well-being  educational achievements or social development;  other important milestones in the child’s life, without revealing the child’s identity or whereabouts or the identity or whereabouts of the adoptive parents. 11.23. The agency could also use this discretion to provide additional information about the child to the adoptive parents. This could be information supplied by the birth parents or other birth relatives whom the agency considers will be beneficial to the adoptive parents in the care and upbringing of the chi