Asked by: Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to require all funeral directors and crematoria to publish their schedule of planned direct cremations to ensure that the service that has been commissioned has been carried out.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Law Commission is currently undertaking its “Burial, Cremation and New Funerary Methods” project which seeks to create a future-proof legal framework to address what happens to our bodies after we die and to make recommendations that will provide modern, certain and consistent regulation across different funerary methods. As part of this project, the Law Commission has considered issues surrounding direct cremation. Its recent “Burial and Cremation” consultation document invited evidence from consultees as to whether, in relation to direct cremations, there are cases where an applicant for the cremation will not know which crematorium will be used at the time of application.
The Government does not currently have plans to require all funeral directors and crematoria to publish their schedule of planned direct cremations. Direct cremations are subject to the same legislation as any other cremation. The Government will consider any changes to the legal framework governing direct cremations as part of any wider recommendations made by the Law Commission in due course. As the Law Commission project is still ongoing, we do not want to pre-empt its recommendations. We look forward to carefully considering these once published, which we expect to be towards the end of 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether funeral directors providing a direct cremation service are required to collect the body of a deceased person from a hospital mortuary within a specified time frame after the medical examiner has issued the medical certificate of cause of death.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
At present there is no mandatory time period within which all funeral directors across England and Wales should collect the body of a person who has died and take them into their care.
The introduction of regulation into the funeral director sector requires thorough consideration due to the complexity and sensitive nature of the area. It is essential to ensure that the rights and dignity of deceased individuals and their bereaved family members are protected, while implementing measures that are proportionate.
For that reason, the Government is considering the full range of possible next steps to ensure appropriate standards are in place, including the potential for introducing some form of appropriate, proportionate regulation of funeral directors. An update on next steps will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to expand the reach of the Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
Currently, the Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) is only available in the areas where it is being piloted in London and Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire. The evaluations of these pilots will inform the decision around whether to introduce the AAMR to all courts in England and Wales as a sentencing option.