Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the provisions of the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 to come into force.

The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act received Royal Assent in April 2017. The Government remains committed to bringing the Act into force as soon as possible. This depends upon the creation of the necessary secondary legislation and administrative systems in the courts. It also will require the Office of the Public Guardian to define and support the working of the new procedure, with officials drafting the necessary documentation.

The Government is not currently able to confirm a date for commencement, but intends to set out its approach to commencement by the Summer Recess.