To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how his Department's policy, practice and procedures on exhumation have changed since June 2007.

Between June 2007 and March 2008, those applying to exhume human remains for archaeological reasons were advised that no licence was required for sites that were no longer recognisable as burial grounds and had passed into other use. The licensing regime was reinstated in April 2008 and licences issued from then until April 2011 contained a condition that human remains had to be reburied within two years of their excavation. Those wishing to do so could however apply to vary this condition and defer reburial for a longer or indefinite period.

Since April 2011 we have taken a more flexible approach, and licences now allow applicants to retain the remains (usually in agreement with the senior local authority archaeologist) rather than requiring reburial. A statement about this approach is available on the Ministry's website at:

www.justice.gov.uk/coroners-burial-cremation/burials

Since June 2007 there has been no change in the policy, practice and procedures on licences to exhume single sets of buried remains.