Missing Claudia’s father hails MPs’ inquiry move over rights of families

Peter Lawrence travelled to Westminster to brief MPs and members of the House of Lords about the ordeal families have faced while dealing with the estate of a missing relative.

Mr Lawrence’s own daughter, missing from her home in York, was last seen almost two years ago, but detectives have been unable to find any trace of her.

Relatives of former Manic Street Preachers’ guitarist Richey Edwards, who vanished in 1995 before being declared presumed dead three years ago, were also at the inaugural meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults.

Mr Lawrence, 64, a solicitor from Slingsby in North Yorkshire, said: “It is obviously good news that the parliamentary inquiry will be held – it was the best outcome we could have hoped for.

“The Government needs to understand that families who have to endure the pain of a loved one going missing need as much support as possible. That certainly isn’t happening at the moment, and hopefully the inquiry will correct that.”

The Missing People charity has called for a “presumption of death” act to be introduced in England and Wales and for banks to introduce standard mortgage arrangements for families of missing people.

The charity has also urged insurance companies to freeze or take over a missing relative’s policy payments. Some families have lost their homes and jobs as they battled to pay the unexpected bills.

The Ministry of Justice has previously said that while the charity’s campaign was welcomed, there are no plans to change legislation as any new law would apply to only a “relatively small number of cases”.

Miss Lawrence, then aged 35, was last seen walking near her home in York, on March 18, 2009.

North Yorkshire Police upgraded the missing person inquiry to a murder investigation the following month.