Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of local councils, if any, refusing to give ashes to families after public health funerals; and what is their response to reports of such practices.

The Government has not made any such estimate.

In line with the regulatory framework for cremation, ashes would normally be returned to the cremation applicant, which in the case of a public health cremation would be the local authority. However, it is open to the local authority to pass the ashes to any family or friends who come forward, and we would expect this to happen whenever possible.