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Q1: How many of
the deaths which occur in Great Britain each year will result
in cremation?
A: Cremation has become the preferred method
of disposal in Great Britain. Approximately 70% of all recorded
deaths are now followed by cremation.
Q2: Are there any
religious groups which forbid cremation to their members?
A: All Christian denominations, including
the Roman Catholic Church, allow cremation. Cremation is also
acceptable to Sikhs, Hindus, Parsees and Buddhists but it
is forbidden by Orthodox Jews and Moslems.
Q3: Is cremation
more expensive than burial?
A: Generally the cost of burial is much higher
than the fee charged for cremation. Cremation usually necessitates
the production of medical certificates for which fees are
payable to doctors concerned. These certificates are not required
when the death has been referred to and investigated by a
Coroner (Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) or when burial is
required, although in this case, in addition to the charges
for interment, a number of other fees for grave purchases,
memorials and grave maintenance may be incurred.
Q4: What service
arrangements are available at the crematorium?
A: A religious service may be conducted at
the crematorium within the time allowed for each funeral.
Alternatively a service may take place in any separate place
of worship followed by a brief committal ceremony at the crematorium.
Families can arrange for their particular Minister to conduct
the service or when required Funeral Directors may secure
the services of a suitable Minister on behalf of the family.
Q5: Is it necessary
for the cremation to be associated with a religious ceremony?
A: The deceased’s family can make any
service arrangements which they consider to be appropriate.
Secular services can be conducted at the crematorium or, if
required, no ceremony need take place. Memorial services can
be conducted separately from the cremation ceremony in local
places of worship by arrangement with the Minister concerned.
Q6: How is a cremation
arranged?
A: A number of arrangements need to be made
following death. The responsibility normally falls on the
Executor or the nearest surviving relative who may wish to
approach a professional Funeral Director who will undertake
some of the various tasks on their behalf. The Funeral Director
will need to discuss with the family their requirements concerning
the service arrangements and will assist in completing the
necessary medical certificates. It will be necessary to register
the death and information will be provided by the Funeral
Director to assist in completing that duty.
Q7: Do
relatives need to decide at this stage about the disposal
of cremated remain?
A: The Funeral Director will discuss with
relatives the alternative arrangements which may be adopted
for the disposal of cremated remains. It is likely that a
form of authority will be required to signed in advising the
crematorium of the wishes of the family. If they are undecided
it will be possible for the cremated remains to be retained,
either at the crematorium or at the Funeral Directors premises,
pending a decision.
Q8: What are the
normal options for disposal of cremated remains?
A: All crematoria provide a Garden of Remembrance
where cremated remains can be dispersed. Some crematoria provide
niches where containers, may be placed for limited periods.
Cremated remains can be removed from the Crematorium in a
suitable container for disposal elsewhere. This may include
interment in a grave in a cemetery of churchyard, dispersal
at another crematorium or dispersal privately in a particular
area selected by the family. Suitable permission should be
obtained from the appropriate Authority in these cases.
Q9: What is a garden
of remembrance and what facilities may be provided there?
A: The Gardens of remembrance consist of special areas, often
adjacent to the crematorium, set aside for the disposal of
cremated remains. They are used continually for this purpose
and as a result it may not be possible or appropriate to mark
or identify the exact location of individual cremated remains.
The gardens are normally arranged to provide a focal point
for visitors and may include a variety of memorial facilities.
Q10: What memorial
facilities are available at crematoria?
A: All crematoria have some form of memorial
facility. The most usual form of permanent memorial is the
Book of Remembrance. The book is usually displayed in a special
memorial chapel and entries are available for viewing either
automatically on the anniversary of the date of death or on
request. Some crematoria provide wall or kerb mounted plaques
in stone or metal although these are normally purchased for
a limited period only. Roses, trees and shrubs may be dedicated
at some crematoria for periods which may be extended by agreement.
Donations are often accepted for the provision of items to
be used at the crematorium or for the embellishment of the
buildings or grounds. The Funeral Director should be aware
of the memorial options available but direct enquiries to
the Crematorium Registrar will ensure that full details are
provided together with a scale of charges.
Q11: What is the
procedure followed at the crematorium on the day of the funeral?
A: The mourners will normally gather at the
crematorium in the waiting room or close to the entrance of
the chapel a few minutes before the appointed time of funeral
service. It is not usual for the ceremony to commence before
the publicised time. When the principle mourners are ready
to proceed, the coffin will be conveyed into the chapel by
the Funeral Director unless the family bearers are used by
request. The coffin will be placed on the catafalque and mourners
will be directed to their seats after which the service will
proceed. At the moment during the service when the committal
of the body takes place the coffin may be obscured from view
by curtains or withdrawn from the chapel and may then inspect
the floral tributes.
Q12: What happens
to the coffin after the committal?
A: The coffin is withdrawn into the committal
room where the nameplate is carefully checked by crematorium
staff to ensure the correct identity. An identity card will
then accompany the coffin and the resultant remains until
their final disposal or removal from the crematorium.
Q13: Can relatives
witness the committal of the coffin to the cremator?
A: The reception of the coffin in the committal
room and its introduction into a cremator can be witnessed
by arrangement with the crematorium registrar. It is preferable
to advise the Funeral Director of these requirements as early
as possible when making funeral arrangements.
Q14: Is the cremation
of the body governed by the code of ethnics and working practices?
A: Cremation Authorities who are members
of the federation of British Cremation Authorities are required
to operate strictly in accordance with a code of cremation
practise. This code, which provides the only ethnical standard
of cremation practise in Great Britain, is often displayed
in the public areas of the building.
Q15: How soon after
the service will the cremation take place?
A: The cremation will usually be commenced
shortly after the service. The code of cremation practise
specifies that the cremation is always completed on the same
day as the service.
Q16: Is the coffin
cremated with the body?
A: The code requires that the coffin be placed
in the cremator in exactly the same condition as that in which
is was received at the crematorium. Crematorium regulations
require that the coffin and all its fittings and furnishings
be made from materials suitable for cremation. The Environmental
Protection Act 1990 has placed a new responsibility on Cremation
Authorities to ensure that the process is completed under
controlled conditions, which will minimise the impact on the
environment. In these circumstances it will be necessary for
any items included in the coffin for presenting or viewing
purposes to be removed by the Funeral Director before the
coffin is conveyed to the crematorium. It will not be possible
for any floral tributes to be included with the coffin for
cremation.
Q17: Should items
of jewellery be left on the body for cremation?
A: It is preferred that all items of jewellery
be removed from the body before the coffin is conveyed to
the crematorium. The Funeral Director should ascertain your
wishes in respect of this matter when the funeral arrangements
are being discussed. It will not be possible to recover any
items of jewellery after the coffin has been received at the
crematorium.
Q18: Can more than
one body be cremated in a cremator at the same time?
A: The code insists that each cremation is
carried out separately. Exceptions may be made for instance
in the case of mother and baby or twin children providing
that the next of kin has made a specific request in this regard.
19: Q: What happens to the cremated remains after the cremation?
A: At the conclusion of the cremation the cremated remains
are removed in their entirety and conveyed to the treatment
area in a special container. Ferrous metals used in the construction
of the coffin or metal used in medical implants are extracted
and retained for separate disposal. Non-ferrous metals which
may include an unrecognisable element of precious material
will not be salvaged for any purpose and will be disposed
of in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Cremation
Practice and invariably this will be by burial in the crematorium
grounds.
Q20: What procedures
are followed to ensure that cremated remains are kept separate?
A: A cremator can physically accept only
one coffin at a time and all remains are removed before the
unit can be used again. The identity card referred to previously
accompany the coffin and cremated remains throughout the process
until final disposal. The code of ethics and practical necessity
are complementary and combine to ensure that the separation
of cremated remains is achieved.
Q21: How are cremated
remains treated at the crematorium?
A: Cremated remains are removed from the
cremator only when no further reduction is possible. The remains
are withdrawn into a cooling area and finally into a special
container for transfer to a purpose made unit which, after
removal of ferrous metals, will reduce the residue to a fine
consistency suitable for storage and eventual disposal. The
remains are enclosed in a suitable and carefully identified
container to await dispersal or collection.
Q22: What quantity
of remains will there be following cremation?
A: The cremation of an adult will normally
result in the presentation of cremated remains weighing between
2 and 4kg. In the case of a body of an infant it may not be
possible to guarantee that any remains will be collectable.
This is due to the cartilaginous nature of the one structure.
Q23: What happens
to the cremated remains strewn in the ground?
A: The cremated remains, which have assumed
a granular form, are normally distributed over a wide area
of ground. Chemical reactions resulting from exposure to the
elements quickly break down the remains so that within a few
days little trace of them can be observed. Some crematoria
follow the practice of dressing the area where the cremated
remains have been dispersed, with a suitable mixture of loam
and sand.
Q24: Can cremated
remains be interred and their position marked with a memorial?
A: The gardens of remembrance attached to
a crematorium do not provide for the erection of permanent
memorials. Cremated remains interred in Gardens of remembrance
are not normally contained in a casket or container of any
kind. If it is required to inter cremated remains in a grave
with traditional facilities for memorialisation suitable enquiries
should be made to the Registrar responsible for the selected
cemetery.
Q25:
Can cremated remains be retained by the family pending final
disposal?
A: The Applicant for cremation may collect
and retain the cremated remains if required. Cremated remains
can be retained at the crematorium for a limited period although
a charge may be made for this facility.
Q26: What arrangements
can be made to ensure that cremation is the selected method
of disposal following death?
A: Clear instructions in writing should be
given to the person who will be responsible for making the
funeral arrangements. Such instructions are not binding in
law and it will therefore be necessary to ensure that the
person instructed is someone who is likely to carry out the
wishes of the deceased. The final decision will rest on the
executors.
Q27: Can more information
be obtained concerning cremation and if required can a crematorium
be visited by members of the public?
A: The matters referred to previously may
be discussed in more detail with the Registrar of the local
crematorium. The Registrar will be pleased to answer further
questions and make arrangements for any member of the public
to be accompanied on a visit to the crematorium.
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