Emergency coronavirus bill: funeral directors to keep ashes

Under the new bill, the cremation of ashes will be held by the relevant authorities instead of family members. The Cremation Regulations act of 1961 set out steps for the cremation

authorities to contact family members for "the collection or disposal of ashes". Under this new legislation, these duties will be suspended.  It states: "The Bill will suspend

these duties and the relevant bodies will be under a duty to retain the ashes. "Once the provisions are re-instated the original duties to ascertain the wishes of the family will also

be re-instated in relation to any retained ashes." A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman told the Express.co.uk confirmed the legislation covers the whole of the UK.  However, the

respective nations can use the powers at their discretion and can "switch them off" when necessary.  The new legislation also puts forward a process to speed up the process of

cremation.  Previously, a medical certificate was needed in order to cremate the ashes.  The Coronavirus Bill, however, removes this in order to "streamline" the process.  Overall,

the bill has been put forward in order to give the Government new legislation in order to fully tackle the coronavirus outbreak.  Under the bill, the Government will have the powers for two

years.  JUST IN: CORONAVIRUS IN CANADA: IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL TO CANADA? ARE THERE ST... "In the event that Border Force resources are depleted due to Covid-19 to such an extent that it

creates a real and significant risk to border security, the Bill provides powers to ensure that arrivals can be directed to ports of arrival in the UK where there will be sufficient Border

Force officers to carry out the necessary border security checks." Police and immigration will also be given the power to detain a person and place them in quarantine.  Other measures

include the move to re-register recently retired doctors or medical students to be placed as healthcare professionals.  There will also be a greater use of video and audio links in courts. 

Away from the release of the bill today, the Bank of England also cut interests rates to 0.1 percent today. Also announced today, the local mayoral elections have been postponed until 2021.