A LONG-FOUGHT campaign in memory of Claudia Lawrence to award families greater control over the affairs of missing loved ones has cleared its first Commons hurdle.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, introduced his Guardianship (Missing Persons) Bill to the Commons today and it was unanimously backed by MPs.

The Bill - also known as Claudia’s Law - has been inspired by the experiences of Claudia’s father Peter Lawrence who found it ‘terribly distressing’ when he was unable to manage his daughter’s financial affairs after she went missing in York in March 2009.

Introducing his Bill, Mr Hollinrake said families were left with an “unbelievable amount to cope with” when a person disappears with no explanation.

He added: “These desperate situations are worsened by the need to pick up the pieces of their lives - paying the mortgage, the rent, the car loan, the insurances.

“Data protection and financial services contract law currently prevents even the closest relative from dealing with their finances.

“As Mr Lawrence told me, banks, insurance companies, mortgage lenders all say we can’t accept your instructions, you’re not our customer.

“He went on to say: ‘You’re at your lowest ebb and you have to fight all these problems, it’s terribly distressing’.”

The law change would ensure someone with a “sufficient interest” in the property and affairs of a missing person can be appointed as a guardian by a court.

The person would have to be missing for at least 90 days before the guardian could take control of their affairs and have authority to act on behalf of them for up to four years.

The Bill, which has cross-party support, will be given a second reading on February 3 and although there are still several processes to go through, Mr Lawrence said that he was feeling ‘optimistic’ it could become law next year.

He said: “This is good news.

“I think we probably expected it to go through but it is always nice to see it happen, and that the powers that be have given it an early second reading.”

Mr Lawrence has been campaigning for the law-change since 2011 after realising how powerless it can feel for the families of loved ones who have gone missing.

He said Claudia’s Law would have a “massive impact” on people’s lives.

“Everybody takes for granted that you get the best out of your mortgage rate, your insurance and investments, but at the moment, those with missing loved ones can’t do that for them.

“If investments mature, for example, you can’t do anything with them so they just sits there losing money because you are not the customer,” added Mr Lawrence.