A BILL to help families of missing people deal with the affairs of their loved ones has moved another step closer to law.
The changes, labelled Claudia’s Law, were proposed in March 2015 and supported by Peter Lawrence - father of missing Claudia Lawrence - and the Missing People charity.
The new bill will create a new legal status of guardian of the property and affairs of anyone missing for 90 days or longer, to the families and friends of missing people to manage their affairs.
Claudia has been missing since March 2009, and Mr Lawrence has long campaigned to make it easier for families to deal with the financial affairs of missing relatives. Legislation was agreed in 2015 but has not been passed into law.
Yesterday, the bill passed the committee stage in the House of Commons, and will now go to a third reading, after MP Kevin Hollinrake raised the issue last month.
A date has not yet been confirmed for the third reading of the bill, but if it passes the next reading in the Commons, it will go before the House of Lords.
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