Cremation: Coronavirus

(asked on 13th July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when covid-19 restrictions on interment of ashes following cremation will be lifted; and if she will make a statement.


Answered by
Alex Chalk Portrait
Alex Chalk
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
This question was answered on 16th July 2020

There are no Government restrictions on the interment of ashes. It has never been Government policy to prevent the interment of ashes, and the Government amended the Regulations on 22 April to make it clear that it was only crematoria buildings which had to close to members of the public, except for funerals and burials. There have never been restrictions on the grounds surrounding crematoria, including burial grounds and gardens of remembrance. The restrictions on crematoria buildings were then lifted on 4 July.

The law does not compel the owners and managers of these places to keep them open, and there are many reasonable justifications for why they may need to close temporarily, such as when conducting a funeral, or for maintenance. The Government urges the owners and managers of these places to take all practical steps towards enabling these places to be visited, in a safe manner consistent with social distancing guidelines.

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