Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2023 to Question 140347 on Powers of Attorney: Dementia, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the associated legal costs of obtaining a lasting power of attorney for people with dementia and diminished capacity who require a court order.

The Government is supporting the Powers of Attorney Bill, a Private Members Bill, which seeks to make the process of making and registering a lasting power of attorney safer, easier and more sustainable.

During January and February 2023, the court introduced digital systems to make property and affairs deputyship applications to the court easier.

The improvements planned for the LPA service and in the Court of Protection aim to make things easier for people, so they feel able to go through the process independently without the involvement of a legal professional should they wish.