Families grieving the tragic loss of a child will no longer have to meet the costs of their burial or cremation, as a result of a new government scheme set up to provide financial help.

Every year in England an estimated 3,800 children die under the age of 18, and there are a further 2,700 stillbirths. Bereaved parents can find themselves facing bills of thousands of pounds for burial or cremation fees which can vary widely across the country.

The Children’s Funeral Fund (CFF) will bring an end to this uncertainty and provide bereaved parents with valuable practical support at a very difficult time. The scheme aims to reduce the financial burden for families by reimbursing burial authorities, cremation authorities and funeral directors directly.

The fund will be available regardless of the family’s income, and will also include a contribution towards the cost of a coffin.

Today’s (30 June 2019) news comes after Prime Minister Theresa May last year pledged to abolish children’s burial and cremation fees, and follows a cross-party campaign led by Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris after the tragic death of her 8 year old son, Martin.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

At a time of such unimaginable loss, no grieving parent should be faced with the stress and worry of finding the money to cover the costs of their child’s funeral.

I hope the Children’s Funeral Fund will bring an end to this and give families some comfort and support when they need it most.

I would again like to pay tribute to Carolyn Harris and all those who have campaigned with such devotion and dignity on this issue.

Justice Minister Edward Argar said:

The loss of a child is a tragedy which no parent can prepare for.

While nothing can ever remove the pain that bereaved families experience, this Government is determined to do everything in its power to ease the burden on them, which is why, in line with the Prime Minister’s pledge, I have developed the scheme we are announcing today.

The Children’s Funeral Fund will provide bereaved parents with much-needed support and I am proud to have worked alongside such dedicated campaigners to make this important scheme a reality.

DWP Minister Will Quince said:

As a bereaved parent, I know the impact the Children’s Funeral Fund will have. No one should ever have to endure the loss of a child and thanks to this scheme grieving families will now be spared the burden of meeting funeral costs.

I have been campaigning for more support for grieving families since entering Parliament in 2015 and I am proud that along with MoJ my Department and I have been able to make this fund a reality.

We want to ensure everyone is able to say goodbye to their child with love and dignity without the added fear of how they are going to pay for it.

Kate Lee, Chief Executive of CLIC Sargent, said:

This announcement is a momentous day for everyone who has supported the campaign for a Children’s Funeral Fund over the last 2 years.

But most importantly this is for every parent who has been plunged into debt to pay for their child’s funeral. As one mum said, no one should ever face the pain that they can’t afford ‘the last gift you’ll ever give your child’. This Fund is in memory of every one of their children.

Regulations are to be laid in parliament tomorrow (1 July 2019) by Justice Minister, Edward Argar, ahead of the Fund coming into effect on 23 July 2019.

The fund marks a key milestone in the delivery of the government’s manifesto commitment to provide bereaved parents with the support they need.

Notes to editors

• The Prime Minister announced the establishment of a Children’s Funeral Fund for England (CFF) on 1 April 2018.
• Carolyn Harris MP (Swansea East, Labour) led a cross-party campaign for a fund to spare bereaved parents the additional distress of having to meet the cost of their child’s funeral at an extremely difficult time. In leading this campaign, she drew on her own personal experience of having to meet the funeral costs of her 8-year old son, Martin, who was killed in 1989.
• Under the fund arrangements, no bereaved family will have to pay the fees charged for a child’s cremation or burial or for a number of prescribed associated expenses.
• The fund provides for burial authorities and cremation authorities to apply to government for the reimbursement of the fees which would otherwise be charged for the provision of the burial or cremation of an eligible child.
• It also provides for funeral directors to apply for reimbursement of certain associated expenses, including a £300 contribution towards the price of a coffin.
• If the person responsible for organising the burial or cremation chooses not to use a funeral director but makes the funeral arrangements themselves, they will be able to claim directly for those expenses from the fund.
• The only conditions for the scheme are that the child is under 18 at the time of death or is stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy, and that the burial or cremation takes place in England.
• The scheme is not means-tested, and the residency or nationality of the deceased child, or of the person organising the burial or cremation, will not be relevant in determining eligibility.
• Both the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government have established schemes, under devolved powers, to make financial support available to providers of burial and cremation for children.
• Should you wish to access case studies, or statements from charities in this sector, please contact CLIC Sargent Media and PR team on 020 8752 2812 or email mediarelations@clicsargent.org.uk. CLIC Sargent out of hours contact: 0844 848 1189. Please note that the name ‘CLIC Sargent’ should not be abbreviated to CLIC, and that the word ‘CLIC’ should always appear in capitals, as above.   
• For more information please contact MOJ press office.

The Sudanese people have a right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. The Transitional Military Council should respect these rights, permit peaceful protests, and avoid any use of violence.

The Troika continues to support the demand of the Sudanese people for a peaceful, agreed transition towards democracy in Sudan.

We also support the ongoing African Union-Ethiopian mediation. We call on the Transitional Military Council and the Forces for Freedom and Change to engage constructively with the African Union-Ethiopian proposal to achieve a peaceful democratic transition through the formation of a civilian-led transitional government. Such a transition will help stabilise the country and enable the Troika and other partners to work with the Government of Sudan to address the country’s economic challenges.

Drivers that leave their engines running while parked could face tougher penalties under new proposals announced today. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling intends to launch a public consultation, looking at increasing fines for idling drivers. Vehicle idling is a major factor in poor air quality, particularly in areas with large numbers of waiting vehicles – such as outside schools, at taxi ranks and bus stations.

Councils already have the power to fine drivers, but the Department for Transport is looking at toughening up those powers to try and put a stop to unnecessary air pollution.

Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary, said:

We are determined to crack down on drivers who pollute our communities by leaving their engines running, particularly outside school gates where our children are breathing in this toxic air.

Putting a stop to idling is an easy way to drive down dangerously high levels of pollution, reducing its impact on the environment and our health.

Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK. Every minute, an idling car produces enough exhaust emissions to fill 150 balloons with harmful chemicals, including cyanide, NOx and PM2.5. The microscopic pollutants can result in a range of health problems – from heart and lung disease to strokes and cancer and have been shown to be particularly damaging to children.

These plans – which would represent the biggest change to the rules since 2002 – will also provide guidance to local authorities on their anti-idling powers, enabling them to enforce the law more effectively.

The consultation, expected to launch this summer, will also explore how to deal with repeat offenders who keep their engines running following several warnings. These proposals are the latest move in the government’s drive to improve air quality, which include grants to encourage the purchase of cleaner vehicles, the commitment to end the sale of new conventional diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040 as part of our Road to Zero strategy, and the doubling of investment in cycling and walking since 2010.

Towns and cities across the UK will mark Armed Forces Day with more than 300 events planned nationwide. The annual event is a chance for the whole country to celebrate the work of service personnel, reservists, veterans, cadets and their families and friends.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, will take the salute during a parade of more than 1,300 service personnel, cadets and veterans at the Armed Forces Day National Event in Salisbury.

This year’s host city will also treat thousands of visitors to military displays, with a flypast by the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows and an aerial display by the British Army’s Parachute Regiment.

Military musicians including bands from the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force will entertain crowds during the parade. Salisbury will end the day’s celebrations with a concert including a performance by the Kaiser Chiefs. Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt will also visit Salisbury to watch the parade and visit serving personnel in the military village.

Defence Secretary, Penny Mordaunt said:

On Armed Forces Day we celebrate the exceptional contribution our service personnel, regular or reservist, veterans and their families make to our security and prosperity. The Armed Forces protect us and defend us around the world and serve communities throughout our country. With more than 300 events taking place across the UK, it’s incredible to see people coming together to show their support for the Armed Forces.

The Armed Forces and Salisbury hold a close and historic relationship and the national event will give the people of Salisbury and the public as a whole the chance to thank the Armed Forces for their tireless support towards the city’s recovery following last year’s Novichok attacks.

Currently our Armed Forces are part of 35 operations in 30 countries across the globe, from counter-poaching exercises in Africa, to training allies in Ukraine and helping to ensure the territorial defeat of Daesh in Syria. While families at home celebrate Armed Forces Day at events across the nation, troops will be working around the clock in many time zones to keep us safe and protect the UK’s interests.

I would firstly like to thank Prime Minister Abe both for hosting this summit and for his friendship over the past three years. I have no doubt that the strong relationship between the UK and Japan will continue to grow in the years ahead.

I firmly believe in the importance of international cooperation and compromise. In Osaka this week we have worked hard to bridge differences between G20 countries on some of the biggest challenges our nations face.

That has not been easy but we have made progress. I continue to believe that we are stronger when we work together.

Genuine collaboration and dialogue are particularly critical now as we confront serious threats to global stability.

The UK has never been afraid to stand up for the global rules that underpin our values and our way of life.

Over the past two days, leaders have discussed some of the most pressing challenges facing our nations.

In recent months we have heard hundreds of thousands of young people urge us – their leaders – to act on climate change before it’s too late.

I am proud that the UK has now enshrined in law our world-leading net zero commitment to reduce emissions. And I have called on other countries to raise their ambition and embrace this target.

As we have set out in Osaka, the UK remains committed to the global rules-based trade system and to trade that is fair as well as free.

And we believe that all nations must be encouraged to uphold these rules and to open their markets if we are to build economies that truly work for everyone.

The UK has consistently called for further and faster progress to reclaim the internet from those who want to destroy our values and our way of life. This means stronger action on the misuse of live-streaming to stop terrorists from broadcasting their atrocities in real time.

And I am pleased that all G20 leaders have agreed a joint statement that commits us to doing more – in partnership with industry – to protect our citizens from the spread of vile terrorist propaganda online.

With tensions rising in the Gulf we must all stand together. Escalation is in no-one’s interest. We need engagement on all sides to find a diplomatic solution to the current situation and to counter Iran’s destabilising activity.

At the same time, the UK will continue to work with our JCPoA partners to do all we can keep the Iran nuclear deal in place. We believe the deal makes the world safer and I want to see Iran uphold its obligations.

More broadly in the Middle East I have discussed with UN Secretary-General Guterres and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the need to continue to make progress in the UN-led peace process in Yemen towards a political solution that is the only way to end the conflict.

Yesterday I told President Putin that there can only be a normalisation of our bilateral relationship if Russia stops the pattern of irresponsible activity that threatens the UK and its allies – such as the use of a deadly nerve agent on the streets of Salisbury.

We remain open to a different relationship, but for that to happen the Russian government must choose a different path.

This is my final G20 Summit as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

We have always understood that our success as a nation is tied to our collaboration with other countries and the relationships we build.

And I have no doubt that Britain will retain the same strong spirit of international cooperation and compromise that has long characterised our engagement with the rest of world.

Because this is the only way that we can protect and promote our interests and ensure the prosperity and security of our citizens for years to come.