https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/bona-vacantia<\/a>). It is for local authorities to determine whether an estate should be referred to BVD.<\/p> <\/p>
In 2017-2018, 2768 estates were referred to BVD of which 909 were referred by local authorities. In 2018-2019, 1971 estates were referred to BVD of which 575 were referred by local authorities.<\/p>
In 2019-2020, 2336 estates were referred to BVD of which 561 were referred by local authorities<\/p>
<\/p>
GLD has no responsibility for overseeing local authorities or their compliance with guidance issued by GLD about the handling of estates. Such information \u2013 including whether an estate has been referred to the Bona Vacantia Division of GLD, or whether the local authority has instructed an heir hunter \u2013 will be held by the particular local authority concerned.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4116", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis"}
}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michael Ellis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-06-24T16:20:38.063Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Intestacy"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, whether she has made a recent assessment of levels of compliance among local authorities with the guidance issued by the Government Legal Department on the referral to the Bona Vacantia Division of estates of people who have died without (a) known entitled relatives and (b) leaving a will and instead passing the details directly to a single heir hunting firm.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4602", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wera Hobhouse"}
}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Wera Hobhouse"}
], "uin" : "58045"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1202420", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Attorney General"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1202420/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department (GLD) handles the estates of people who die without known entitled relatives, and without leaving a will. There is no statutory obligation to refer estates to GLD. However, GLD publishes guidance on the matter. In addition, local authorities can and do seek advice from GLD about the referral of specific cases.<\/p>
<\/p>
GLD does not provide advice to local authorities on the use of heir hunters.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4116", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Northampton North"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michael Ellis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-06-24T16:23:59.877Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Intestacy"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, if she will make it her policy to strengthen the guidance issued by the Government Legal Department to local authorities on handling the estates of people who have died without (a) known entitled relatives and (b) leaving a will to ensure that they refer all eligible estates as soon as possible after death to the Bona Vacantia Division and do not pass the details directly to a single heir hunting firm.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4602", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wera Hobhouse"}
}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Wera Hobhouse"}
], "uin" : "58046"}
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