HC Deb 15 March 1994 vol 239 cc589-90W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the procedures for tracing missing persons.

Mr. Charles Wardle

The Government are providing an extra £90,000 a year for three years to improve the procedures for tracing missing persons and are investing in the technology that will allow the system to be computerised.

As the first step in this process, on 18 March 1994 a police national missing persons bureau will open at New Scotland Yard, under the control of the national identification bureau. The bureau will be a central clearing house for information on vulnerable missing persons for the use of all police forces in the United Kingdom and overseas agencies.

Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been reported missing in each of the past five years; and of those reported missing how many are traced within a period of not less than(a) six months, (b) two years and (c) five years.

Mr. Charles Wardle

Statistics on missing persons are not currently available centrally. With the establishment of the police national missing persons bureau on 18 March statistics will begin to be collected centrally for the first time.

Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a statutory requirement for people to inform the police if they have not heard from next of kin for over a year so that they can then be registered as missing.

Mr. Charles Wardle

None.