Islwyn MP Chris Evans has said a new law helping families of missing people is a step closer to being introduced.
The Presumption of Death Bill, if made law, would make it easier for families to resolve the affairs of missing people. The Bill is currently moving through the House of Commons.
Mr Evans has been actively involved with the campaign since meeting Rachel Elias, sister of Blackwood musician Richey Edwards, who has been missing since 1997.
Without a death certificate, relatives of missing people are unable to administer their estate, claim life insurance or mortgage their house. Critics say it is a bureaucratic nightmare that can add to the emotional distress of losing a family member.
Mr Evans said: “When someone goes missing the impact on the family left behind can be awful.
“The uncertainty is often made worse by the fact that little is understood about the emotional, legal and financial burdens for those whose loved one has gone missing.
“This Bill would go some way to sparing families the unnecessary financial and legal bureaucracy which families are forced to go through without a death certificate.”