Three mothers of missing children – Kate McCann, Nicki Durbin and Sarah Godwin – will give evidence at the UK’s first ever Parliamentary Inquiry into the rights of families of missing people today.

 The women will be at Parliament to talk about the level of emotional support currently available to the families of missing children and this will be followed by evidence from Peter Davies, Chief Executive of CEOP, and James Brokenshire, the Home Office Minister.

The inquiry, organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Runaway and Missing Children and Adults, will consist of four sessions and will be co-chaired by a cross party panel of parliamentarians, who will make recommendations to the Coalition Government.

Two later sessions on Thursday 16 June will focus on whether the current Presumption of Death measures are fit for purpose, with Rachel Elias, the sister of missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards, giving evidence; and whether a legal guardianship mechanism would help families manage a missing loved one’s practical affairs, with Peter Lawrence, father of missing York chef Claudia Lawrence, giving evidence.

The final session on Thursday 23 June will look at cross-matching unidentified bodies and missing person reports, with Rachel Elias once again speaking.

Ann Coffey MP, the Chair of the APPG, said: “When a child or vulnerable adult goes missing the families left behind are absolutely devastated. Often the families feel isolated and alone. This inquiry will examine what emotional, practical and legal support those families need to help them cope at such a traumatic time.”

The Parliamentary Inquiry follows the last meeting of the APPG in which Members heard about the charity Missing People’s ‘Missing Rights’ campaign to give families of missing people the same basic rights as victims of crime.

 Martin Houghton-Brown, Chief Executive of Missing People, said: “As it stands, if your house is burgled you are automatically offered emotional, practical and legal support. If your child goes missing you may get nothing.

“From dealing with finances, insurance policies, bank accounts and mortgages through to having a missing person declared presumed dead, families left behind often struggle to deal with institutions that have no system for their clients going missing. This inquiry is a landmark opportunity for Parliamentarians to ensure that families are able to access the full range of support that they so desperately need.”

To show your support for the families of missing people please leave a message on Missing People’s Wall of Reminders at www.missingpeople.org.uk/wallofreminders.