JUSTICE COMMITTEE REPORT ON SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES OF MISSING PEOPLE

That this House welcomes the Justice Select Committee's report into presumption of death; recognises that when a family member goes missing the pain and anguish families go through is considerable; is concerned that this emotional trauma is exacerbated by a lack of practical guidance and a legislative patchwork of bewildering complexity which leaves many families unable to maintain or resolve their missing relative's affairs; and therefore calls on the Government to accept the threefold recommendations made by the Committee to introduce a Presumption of Death Act for England and Wales, modelled on those in place in Northern Ireland and Scotland, to clarify the legal position, to introduce guardianship orders so that financial stewardship of a missing person's affairs can be established in the short term and to provide effective guidance for the families of missing people and those who provide services for them.