HC Deb 27 March 1996 vol 274 c630W
Mr. Donald Anderson

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy that any moneys raised by the sale of any book to be written by Mr. Geoffrey Mansell and commissioned by the Official Solicitor which uses copyright material from the West estate, or any other sums which drive from West memorabilia, will be used exclusively for the benefit of victims of the Wests. [22098]

Mr. Jonathan Evans

The Government have no involvement with the sale of rights in the West estate. The Official Solicitor, who is independent of Government, has been appointed as administrator of the West estate by the court. Like any other administrator, he is accountable to the court and, through the court to the beneficiaries.

The distribution of the estate and any income derived from it is a matter of law. The family of a murder victim might have a claim against an offender's estate.