The Chair informed Members that there were some members of the public in attendance for this item. He said that any member of the public wishing to address the Committee on this issue could do so, out of respect for the issue.

The Head of Parks and Countryside introduced the report on behalf of the Director of Neighbourhood Services. He highlighted the evocative nature of the report, and that all involved wished to see that still born or born asleep babies received the proper dignity. He said that this report came from a request from Members, who wished for an update on the Council’s actions to acknowledge the practice of burial in communal graves. It had been a common practice nationally throughout the 1950s to the 1970s. It had been highlighted to the Council through a BBC News Northwest feature in November 2022, which had raised a number of enquiries from members of the public and a subsequent investigation highlighted the issue.

The report showed the actions taken to date, however he stressed that it was important to acknowledge that this was a practice that should not have taken place. He gave Members details as to the memorial services the Council had held throughout 2023, and the report also gave details as to the proposed next steps.

In September 2024, Oldham Council launched an online burial register, and officers from Wirral had discussed with Oldham how they had digitised those records. Officers were currently seeking quotes from IT providers and making assessments as to how much this might cost to digitise Wirral’s records, and they were finalising these costs. In terms of grave registers, officers did not believe it would be appropriate to digitise these, due to issues on consent around GDPR. He believed that burial registers would provide enough information for families to locate the graves of their loved ones, in addition to the services provided at Landican Cemetery.

Two members of the public, Gina Jacobs and Diana Williams gave testimonials of their experiences to the Committee. They thanked Council officers, particularly those at Landican Cemetery, for their work and support but that more needed to be done. They asked the Committee to support efforts for an apology and greater support from the government on this issue. The Chair and Committee Members thanked both Mrs Jacobs and Mrs Williams for their heartfelt presentation.

The Bishop of Birkenhead Julie Conalty also addressed the Committee. She also thanked staff and hoped the digitisation of the records would help families to find those babies still missing.

The Head of Parks and Countryside addressed some of the points made by the public. He stressed that officers could not identify with certainty what guidance pre-NHS staff were working to. He stressed to Members that Wirral was one of the only Local Authorities putting up memorials as well as attempting to digitise their records. It would be helpful, in his view, if the government supported Local Authorities more in seeking to address this issue in a meaningful way. The Cemeteries and Crematorium Senior Manager also addressed the Committee and responded to comments raised by the public in regards to religious burials.

Members thanked Mrs Jacobs, Mrs Williams and the Bishop of Birkenhead for attending the meeting and for speaking out on a difficult subject. Members also thanked Officers for their support and work on this issue.

Members asked about further support that could be provided at Landican Cemetery, and queried the costs of digitising the burial registers. Members also agreed that any contact to government should include the local MPs.

The Chair informed Members that he wished to move additional recommendations. On a motion proposed by Councillor Johnson, and seconded by Councillor Bennett, it was –

Resolved - That the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee:

1.  Noted and endorsed the contents of the report

2.  Thanked campaigners for their work

3.  Requested officers contact MHCLG and local MPs to seek their support for a national response to this issue and additional resources for local authorities

The Chair offered an unconditional apology, on behalf of Wirral Council and the councils it inherited, to the campaigners and those affected by this issue.