Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

We do not know how many people will register, should the Bill be enacted. The Minister of State said he would consider setting up a register for guardianship agreements. Such a register exists in Scotland and hardly anyone registered those agreements. Registration systems can be problematic in that sense.

I referred to the superstition people have regarding wills. Part of it is that they do not want to tempt fate. People may have even greater reservations about registering their wills. I consider it a positive measure but one should not overstate how successful it may be.

Even if people do not have wills, they are covered by the Succession Act. Provisions are made for spouses and children in the disposal of estates. Many people may not be aware of this fact. This information should be made more widely known. People tend to think it is terrible if wills have not been made but it is not as straightforward as that.