Question to the Attorney General:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many estates of people that died (1) without known entitled relatives, and (2) without leaving a will, were referred to the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department in (a) 2017–18, and (b) 2018–19; and how many of those were referred by local authorities.

In 2017-2018 there were 2768 estates referred to the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department of estates where people died without leaving known entitled relatives or a valid will of which 909 were referred by local authorities. There were 2 referrals of estates where the deceased died leaving a valid will which did not dispose of the entire of estate but without leaving known entitled relatives entitled to share in the undisposed residue, neither of which were referred by local authorities.

In 2018-2019 there were 1971 estates referred to the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department of which 575 were referred by local authorities. There were 3 referrals of estates where the deceased died leaving a valid will which did not dispose of the entire of estate but without leaving known entitled relatives entitled to share in the undisposed residue, none of which were referred by local authorities.