VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Intestacy

Asked by Dan NorrisIndependentMinistry of JusticeTabled Answered 17 February 2026UIN 111639

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of data collected on intestacy for the purposes of understanding regional differences in access to will-making and estate planning.

Answered by Sarah Sackman

Will-making and estate planning services are largely offered by private providers and, in some instances, charities may offer similar free services.

The Government is not aware of any concerns regarding the availability of will-making and estate planning services. There are no plans to review the provision of these services.

The latest published government statistics on probate applications can be found here: Family Court Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim