Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of how many and what proportion of the population died without a will in each year since 2004.

There is no central record of whether individuals have a valid will when they die and we have made no estimate of what proportion of individuals die without a will.

The Government recognises that when someone dies without a will, it can mean that the individual’s wishes are not implemented and can leave the family with lengthy and costly court procedures. That is why we are running an awareness-raising campaign to encourage people to plan for the future which could include making a will and a Lasting Power of Attorney.