London - Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected apologise for Britain's role in sending thousands of children to former colonies in the 20th century, according to a BBC report Sunday.

Successive governments sent thousands of British children from disadvantaged backgrounds to places such as Australia and Canada under various social programmes, ostensibly aimed at ensuring them a "better life" until 1967.

Many of the children, who were generally placed in institutions, were however made to do farm work and subjected to hardship, cruelty and sexual abuse. In some instances, children were told they were told they were orphans while their parents were told they were in good hands.

Brown's plan to apologize early next year comes as his Australian counterpart prepares to deliver a national apology to the 7,000 former child migrants still living in the country, the BBC said.

The broadcaster quoted from a letter Brown has reportedly sent to the chairman of the Health Select Committee, in which he wrote: "It is important that we take the time to listen to the voices of the survivors and victims of these misguided policies."