Graves in England and Wales could be reused after 100 years
Graves more than 100 years old could be reused across England and Wales under Law Commission proposals that also include the reopening of some burial grounds closed under Victorian-era legislation.The changes would create a national framework for the first time, aiming to reduce pressure on burial space and modernise a system largely unchanged for more than 170 years.“Our proposals would modernise and simplify burial and cremation law in England and Wales, and provide clearer, more consistent safeguards for bereaved families and friends,” said Prof Lisa Webley, the law commissioner for property, family and trust law.Grave reuse is limited to some London cemeteries and Church of England burial grounds.Under the proposals, this could be extended more widely, but only after local consultation and government approval.
The commission also recommended stricter safeguards than those now in place.Graves could not be reused until at least 100 years after the last burial, up from 75 years, and families would have a year to object.Any objection would delay reuse for a further 25 years.Military graves would remain protected.The Commonwealth War Graves Commission retains the right to object, effectively ensuring no war graves are ever reused.
For the first time, similar protections would apply to postwar graves under Ministry of Defence responsibility,Reused graves would remain within a controlled system, with remains moved deeper and a new burial placed above,Only remains that are “no more than skeletal” would be eligible,The commission also highlighted the patchwork of rules for church, local authority and private burial grounds, recommending a more consistent framework,In some cases, this would introduce legal standards where none currently exist.
For example, it proposes a new minimum of 2ft of soil above a coffin,Cremation practices would also be changed,The growing number of uncollected ashes held by funeral directors is unregulated: funeral directors cannot scatter or bury them and crematoriums are not obliged to accept their return,As a result, ashes can remain in storage indefinitely,Under the proposals, if ashes remain uncollected after six months and the family has been contacted, they could be returned to the cremation authority, which would have a legal duty to accept them.
Cremation authorities could charge for this service at a government-set rate.The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), which contributed to the review, welcomed the recommendations but highlighted areas needing further consideration.“While we support a clear process for returning uncollected ashes, funeral directors should not bear additional costs for storing ashes due to gaps in the current law,” said Andrew Judd, the association’s chief executive.“Similarly, although increased transparency about direct cremation is welcome, information about where a cremation will take place should be provided before the event, not after.Earlier clarity remains crucial for families.
”The government will now consider the recommendations.A further report on new funerary methods is expected to follow.
Reeves plans to give England’s regional leaders a share of national tax revenues
Rachel Reeves has announced that the Treasury will draw up proposals to hand England’s mayors a share of national tax revenues as part of a radical plan to rebalance the economy.The chancellor promised “a genuine break with the past” that would shift spending power away from Westminster, as she promised to create investment-led growth across the UK.Reeves was delivering the Mais lecture – the second time she has given the high-profile annual address at Bayes Business School in London.It is no coincidence that the UK is “the most politically centralised of advanced democracies, and one of the most geographically unequal”, Reeves said.Treasury officials will bring forward a plan at the autumn budget to allow regional leaders to receive a share of national taxes, starting with income tax, she added
Oil and gas prices rise again after Iran attacks production facilities
Oil and gas prices rose again on Tuesday after Iran carried out attacks on production facilities for the first time since the start of the war with the US and Israel.Brent crude, the international benchmark oil price, climbed 2.3% to almost $103 (£77) a barrel and was up nearly 50% from levels before the war began on 28 February. Wholesale gas prices rose nearly 3% to €52 (£45) a megawatt hour, compared with about €30 before the war.For the first time, Iran successfully targeted oil and gas production facilities rather than just refineries, terminals and storage
Rachel Reeves reveals push for fiscal devolution to English regions, says Brexit caused damage, and admits student loan system is ‘broken’ – as it happened
Time to wrap up…Rachel Reeves has announced that the Treasury will draw up proposals to hand England’s mayors a share of national tax revenues as part of a radical plan to rebalance the economy.The chancellor promised “a genuine break with the past” that would shift spending power away from Westminster, as she promised to create investment-led growth, across the UK.Reeves was delivering the Mais lecture – the second time she has given the high-profile annual address at Bayes Business School in London.It is no coincidence that the UK is “the most politically centralised of advanced democracies, and one of the most geographically unequal”, Reeves said.Treasury officials will bring forward a plan at the autumn budget to allow regional leaders to receive a share of national taxes, starting with income tax, she added
Bentley to cut hundreds of UK jobs amid ‘challenging global market environment’
Bentley is to cut 275 jobs in the UK as the carmaker faces a “challenging global market environment”.The luxury brand, owned by Germany’s Volkswagen, is preparing to launch its first all-electric model but acknowledged it had some work to do to persuade consumers to switch away from internal combustion engine vehicles.The company said on Tuesday it was slashing about 6% of its 4,600-strong workforce by cutting about 150 office-based permanent staff and by not filling vacant positions or replacing employees.The announcement came as the company reported a 42% fall in annual operating profit to €216m (£187m) in 2025, compared with a year earlier.While this marked a seventh consecutive year of profitability at Bentley, which produces cars at its factory in Crewe in Cheshire, the company said its profits had taken a hit from the impact of US tariffs introduced by Donald Trump and foreign exchange changes and weaker sales in China, as well as decisions made by its parent company, VW
Australian households fear double whammy of rate hikes and higher petrol prices will lead to recession
Surging interest rates and petrol prices have stripped more than $1bn a month from Australian household budgets as economists warn of recession risks.Consumers are preparing for rates to surpass their recent highs after the Reserve Bank delivered back-to-back hikes ahead of an inflation spike driven by the US war on Iran.Dougal Warby was among the thousands of Australians who bought their first homes when the RBA was expected to cut its target interest rate from 4.1% to 3.1% or lower by today
London bars shun Margot Robbie’s gin over shellfish allergen concerns
Margot Robbie said she “couldn’t wait” to see the artisan gin brand she had created stocked in her London local. But the willingness of the capital’s venues to fulfil her dream has been seriously compromised by three words on the side of the bottle – “warning: contains molluscs”.The Wuthering Heights star has had to change the recipe of her spirit after top London bars and restaurants rejected it due to allergen concerns, the Guardian can reveal.The drink, Papa Salt, uses oyster shells as a botanical, which she hoped would evoke the sandy dunes of Australia where she grew up. It means people with a shellfish allergy are advised not to drink it, because though the distilling process of gin removes most shellfish proteins, some can still remain when it is made with oysters
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