Written question asked by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 9 June 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 18 June 2004. It was answered by Paul Goggins (Labour) on Friday, 18 June 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in the UK chose to have their mortal remains (a) cremated, (b) buried and (c) otherwise disposed of in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) expressed as a percentage of all deaths per year. - Inc figures.

Answer: Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the UK chose to have their mortal remains (a) cremated, (b) buried and (c) otherwise disposed of in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) expressed as a percentage of all deaths per year. [178714] Paul Goggins: This information is not collected centrally. The number of cremations in recent years has levelled at just over 70 per cent. (72 per cent. of 612,000 deaths in 2002). All other deaths are dealt with by burial or by other means (eg repatriation of the body out of England) and these details are not held centrally.

Secondary information