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1182888

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Intestacy
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	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.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL2211
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>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.</p><p> </p><p>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.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 17/03/2020 11:35:14 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

1182889

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Intestacy
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what proportion of, referrals to the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department have come from (a) local authorities, (b) hospital trusts, (c) coroners, and (d) other organisations and individuals, in (i) 2017–18, and (ii) 2018–19.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL2212
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>In 2017-2018 there were 2770 estates referred to the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department of which 33% were referred by local authorities, 4% were referred by hospital trusts, 63% by other organisations and individuals. There was one referral by a Coroner’s Office.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018-2019 there were 1974 estates referred to the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department of which 29% were referred by local authorities, 3% were referred by hospital trusts, 68% by other organisations and individuals. There were no referrals by Coroners.</p><p /><p /><p><br></p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 17/03/2020 11:30:14 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

1183431

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	National Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 14 March 2019 (HL14162), what was the outcome of the Attorney General’s application to the High Court on 22 May 2018 to release the assets of the National Fund; and whether that charity’s up-to-date accounts have been filed with the Charity Commission.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL2334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>The National Fund was created in 1928 with the purpose of paying off the entire national debt. At present the fund cannot be used unless it completely clears the national debt, due to the terms of the fund’s charitable trust.</p><p> </p><p>On 22 May 2018 the then Attorney General made an application to the High Court to vary the terms of the charitable trust so that the National Fund can be used to help pay down the national debt.</p><p> </p><p>It is now for the High Court to decide whether the terms of the charitable trust should be varied. If the application is successful the money in the fund will be paid over to the National Debt Commissioners towards the reduction of the national debt.</p><p> </p><p>The hearing in the High Court is scheduled for October 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The website of the Charity Commission indicates that the accounts of the National Fund for 05 April 2019 are overdue.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 17/03/2020 11:36:50 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

1203569

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	National Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 17 March (HL2334), when they first became aware of a request from a relative of the donor to return the money in the National Fund to the family; and whether they intend to make any change to the Attorney General's application to release the funds as a result.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL5676
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>In October 2019 the Attorney General’s Office was contacted by representatives of an individual who claimed to be a descendent of the anonymous donor that established the National Fund. They also claimed that the trust was void ab initio and that unless the court finds that the donor had a “paramount charitable intent”, the Fund belongs to his residuary estate.</p><p> </p><p>The individual subsequently applied to join the proceedings initiated by the Attorney General in May 2018, in order to represent the interests of all persons who are or may be or become entitled to share in the residuary estate of the donor. In January 2020 the Court ordered that this individual be joined to the proceedings and that they serve evidence in support of their claim.</p><p> </p><p>The Attorney General remains of the view that the trust establishing the National Fund is valid and its purposes exclusively charitable.</p><p> </p><p>It is now for the High Court to determine the individual’s claims and decide whether the terms of the charitable trust should be varied as sought by the Attorney General. If the Attorney General’s application is successful the money in the fund will be paid over to the National Debt Commissioners towards the reduction of the national debt.</p><p> </p><p>The hearing in the High Court is scheduled for October 2020.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 29/06/2020 11:16:41 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town