EDM: Burial of stillborn babies in unmarked graves

Burial of stillborn babies in unmarked graves

Tabled by Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat) 26 signatures

The motion

That this House expresses its deep concern at the revelation that an estimated 89,000 stillborn babies were buried in unmarked communal graves in the United Kingdom up until the late 1980s; regrets that in many cases, bereaved parents were neither informed of their child’s burial location nor given the opportunity to participate in or consent to arrangements; acknowledges the distress this has caused to families who were often denied the chance to grieve or commemorate their loss; commends the individuals and organisations who have worked to raise awareness of this issue and support those affected; believes that this historic practice represents a failure to treat stillbirth with the dignity and compassion it deserves; and calls on the Government to ensure that all available burial records are preserved and made accessible, to promote national recognition of the impact on bereaved families, to make it easier for families and communities to mark and memorialise the sites of historic mass graves, and to work with relevant organisations to support remembrance and healing.

Signatories (26)