§ Mr. Butterfillasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number in each of the last five years 502W of estates of deceased persons having a net probate value, excluding where it passes to a surviving spouse the value of his house or flat and household effects of less than (a) £1,000, (b) £1,500 and (c) £2,000.
§ Mr. MooreThe information available centrally does not allow estimates to be made in the detail requested. However, between the financial years 1978–79 and 1982–83 some 350,000 to 400,000 deaths each year did not result in an application for probate because the solely owned assets of the deceased were too small to need it — as may be the case where there are jointly owned assets passing by survivorship, for which probate is not required. Of the 250,000 to 300,000 deaths a year resulting in probate applications, approximately 35,000 owned less than £1,000, approximately 15,000 owned between £1,000 and £1,500 and another 15,000 between £1,500 and £2,000, in each case excluding any house and contents. It is not known how many of them left surviving spouses.