Guardianship of Property and Affairs of Missing Persons

Shailesh Vara Excerpts

Monday 1st September 2014 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Shailesh Vara)]

On 8 April 2014, I made a written ministerial statement reporting the statement of the same date made by my noble Friend, the Minister for civil justice and legal policy, Lord Faulks QC, announcing that the Ministry of Justice was continuing to prepare a consultation paper on the possible creation of a status of guardian of the property and affairs of missing persons and that it intended to publish the paper as soon as possible and in any event by the end of August—Official Report, 8 April 2014, column WS126.

I am pleased to announce that the consultation paper “Guardianship of the Property and Affairs of Missing Persons” was published on 27 August and that the consultation period will close on 18 November. The consultation paper is aimed at anyone with an interest in the property and affairs of those who go missing and I should like to encourage anyone with such an interest to respond.

The Government will decide whether to create a status of guardian of the property and affairs of missing persons once they have considered the responses to the consultation. My noble Friend, Lord Faulks QC, will make a further statement at that time.