Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Missing Person Case: Cathryn Holdsworth

21 February 2023 · 1 other contributor · 1,830 words

Opened by Holly Lynch Lab Halifax

Responding minister: Chris Philp

Policing & ResourcesJustice & Courts

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Holly Lynch raised concerns about missing person case: cathryn holdsworth in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Cathryn Holdsworth, a 72-year-old woman, went missing from Illingworth, Halifax, in September 2017.
  • The last confirmed sighting of Cathryn was on CCTV footage entering a Tesco store in Halifax town centre.
  • The minister encourages the public to contact West Yorkshire police or Crimestoppers with any information about Cathryn Holdsworth's disappearance.

Key requests to Government

I urge the Minister to use this opportunity to encourage the public to come forward with any information that could assist in the investigation of Cathryn Holdsworth's disappearance.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Holly Lynch Lab Halifax

Cathryn Holdsworth, a 72-year-old woman who went missing in September 2017 from the Illingworth area of Halifax, has been the subject of an ongoing investigation for six years. The last confirmed sighting was captured on CCTV footage as she entered Tesco store in Halifax town centre. Despite extensive efforts including public appeals and investigations by police, no conclusive information about her whereabouts has been found.

Other contributors (1)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Jim Shannon commended Holly Lynch for raising this case and highlighted the heartbreaking nature of it, indicating a failure in procedures that need addressing. He urged the Minister to use this example to prevent future cases like this.

Government Response

Chris Philp

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. I thank and congratulate the hon. Member for Halifax on securing this debate and extend condolences to Nicola Bulley's family. The minister encourages anyone with information about Cathryn Holdsworth's disappearance to contact West Yorkshire police or Crimestoppers anonymously. Home Office officials have been in recent contact with West Yorkshire Police regarding this case, which involves a multi-agency response including health and social care inputs as per the National Police Chiefs' Council's missing adults framework. The minister highlights training initiatives for police officers through the College of Policing and the vulnerability knowledge and practice programme. Recent legislation includes the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 and the Presumption of Death Act 2013 to support families in long-term missing cases. The public is urged to come forward with information to help identify missing persons, noting that most are found within 28 days.

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