Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact waiting times for investigations to be made by the Birmingham and Solihull Coroner Service on people with religious obligations to conduct burials within a particular timeframe.

The Coroner Statistics for the Birmingham and Solihull coroner area show that, in 2020, the average time from a death being reported to the conclusion of the inquest was 10 weeks. This was a decrease from 14 weeks in 2019 and 12 weeks in 2018, and below the 2020 average of 27 weeks in England and Wales. Statistics for 2021 will be published next month.

We recognise that delays in the inquest process may cause additional anguish and distress for the relatives and friends of the deceased. It is a matter for coroners, as independent judicial office holders, to determine how their investigations are carried out. However, we expect that they will continue to work sensitively with bereaved families to address any faith-based concerns.

The Chief Coroner has issued practical Guidance for coroners on situations where a bereaved family has requested urgent consideration of the death of a loved one, which may also include a request for early release of the body; or where the coroner or coroner’s officers become aware that a particular death may have aspects which justify especially urgent consideration. This may include consideration on the basis of religious obligations. The guidance says that coroners should pay appropriate respect to those wishes, within the framework of their legal duties and in the context of their other responsibilities.