Funerals: Death Certificate Delays

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown Excerpts

Thursday 3rd April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord. He is of course aware that, as the former chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews before coming to this place, I worked on this very area to ensure that there were swift responses and burials for the faith communities that require them. That continues to be a great focus of our work.

[Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (DUP)]

My Lords, in Northern Ireland, the practice is that funerals are held three days after death. Does the Minister think that anything can be learned from that?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

We are always happy to learn from the practices of other Governments, and we will continue to work on speed and, as I said, to keep distress and delay at a minimum.