POWER OF GUARDIANSHIP

That this House notes with concern the delay in introducing a new power of guardianship for the families of missing persons that was announced by the Minister of State for Justice, Lord Faulks QC; further notes the unnecessary distress caused to the families of missing people when financial institutions insist that they will only deal with the missing client, which greatly exacerbates the emotional trauma they experience because their loved one is missing, and how this could be resolved by the introduction of guardianship provisions; and calls on the Government urgently to commit to a parliamentary timetable for introducing legislation to allow a family member to apply for the legal right to manage the affairs of their missing relative.