THE father of York chef Claudia Lawrence has presented the Prime Minister with a report aimed at providing new rights for the families of missing people.

Peter Lawrence gave evidence at a Parliamentary inquiry last month which was set up after calls from a charity to give relatives of those who have disappeared the same support as crime victims. Claudia, from Heworth, vanished in March 2009 and the disappearance of the then-35-year-old University of York chef is being treated as murder.

Her father joined Rachel Elias, the sister of missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards, and Nicki Durbin, whose teenage son Luke was last seen in May 2006, in Downing Street yesterday to present the findings of the inquiry.

Its key recommendations are that families of missing people are automatically directed towards support services, such as those provided by the Missing People charity, when a loved one disappears, and that they should be given the power to declare that person “presumed dead” so their personal affairs can be dealt with.

MP Ann Coffey, who chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry on Runaway and Missing Children and Adults, said: “The needs of this group of victims must be met and the Government must listen to the voices of the families and professionals reflected in the recommendations within this report.

“None are particularly costly and yet, if implemented, would make all the difference in the world to the families.”

Yesterday’s event came as it was confirmed the Justice Select Committee is to launch an official inquiry into presumption of death legislation, which was among the recommendations of the Parliamentary group’s study.