Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number of post-mortem imaging scans that have been carried out in the Isle of Wight coroner area in each of the last five year; and in how many of those cases imaging was not able to determine the cause of death.

Coronial post-mortem examinations are carried out on a fee paid basis by specialist practitioners from within the cadre of pathologists in England and Wales who undertake post-mortem work.

In the last five years, the number of post-mortem examinations relating to the Isle of Wight coroner areas which used less invasive techniques (including, but not limited to, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans) was:

The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of cases in the Isle of Wight where the cause of death was not revealed by imaging techniques, where they were used.

The Government acknowledges the significant challenges currently affecting post-mortem pathology services across England and Wales. It is firmly committed to driving meaningful progress on this complex, cross-cutting issue as a matter of urgency. This includes engagement with relevant Ministerial colleagues to identify and implement a sustainable, long-term solution.