THE Liberal Democrat MP Susan Murray has urged the Government to enhance crematorium facilities for faith communities in England.
Moving a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, she said: “For many, cremation or burial could appear a simple matter, an administrative process supported by local authorities and funeral providers. Yet for a big section of our population, and particularly those from minority faiths, the truth is much more complex. Limited provision, a lack of know-how, and regulatory barriers too often mean that families are left distressed and unsupported in the intervening time after they most need compassion.”
Most of the 300 crematoria within the UK operated on a standardised model that didn’t reflect the complete diversity of non secular practice, she said. Restrictions on cut-off dates and lengths of services “fail to offer space” for dignity inside religious rituals — a situation exacerbated by delays in death certification and coronial processes.
“This isn’t a matter of religion; it’s about fairness and equality. . . That inequality is compounded by financial barriers.”
She asked the minister to present a commitment to reviewing “the supply of religiously appropriate crematoriums across Britain”, to discover and shut gaps; to making sure that “coroner and registration services are in a position to reply to the urgent burial needs of certain faiths with clear national guidance”; and to making sure “that the equality duty is correctly considered in all planning and funding decisions regarding crematoriums and burial services, in order that minority communities are usually not excluded”.
In response, the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness, Alison McGovern, acknowledged the “unique needs” of non secular communities. “Although the Ministry of Justice is accountable for law and policy regarding cremation, the Government do not need direct operational responsibility for the supply of cremation services. . . There isn’t any central funding available for the constructing of crematoriums.”
Their conduct was, nevertheless, subject to the Cremation Act 1902 and Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008. The Law Commission was undertaking further work on the problem of differing religious and cultural needs. She said that she would relay the request for a review to the Minister for Faith.
