GREEN BURIALS

Early day motion 1232, tabled 19 May 2004 by Fabian Hamilton (Labour). Signed by 33 members.

That this House believes that everyone should have the choice between a burial in a nature reserve or cemetery; notes that the Alice Barker Welfare and Wildlife Trust in Harrogate has pioneered permanent graves in nature reserves and calls for this visionary social work and ecological service to be expanded throughout the UK, particularly in view of the Government's consultation on proposals to create temporary graves in public cemeteries; notes that the trust has unparalleled expertise on relevant law, which will be lost to the nation if the trust is wound up and its full-time honorary social worker since 1990 accepts unrelated paid work in this country or abroad; notes with alarm that the trust has been unable to consolidate and expand its work, due to constant obstruction by local planning authorities; calls upon the Government to apply to this trust, the promise urgently to remove bureaucratic obstacles from the paths of can-do social pioneers; notes the need for urgent legislation to apply the recommendations of the trust for sound multicultural burial schemes; notes that the trust has demonstrated how to protect emotional well-being, through empowerment during critical times of emotional emergencies; further notes that the trust has demonstrated how joined-up community care services can help those from diverse social backgrounds when coping with the pain of bereavement; and congratulates the trust and its honorary social worker John Bradfield for having pioneered such a visionary and tangible model of excellence in public service, at the start of the new millennium.

Signatures by party: Labour 24, Liberal Democrat 6, Plaid Cymru 2, Labour/Co-operative 1.