Bereaved parents affected by the baby ashes scandal have vowed to continue their fight for a public inquiry after meeting the First Minister.
Alex Salmond heard first hand experiences of parents whose children’s ashes were scattered or discarded without their knowledge during a private meeting in Holyrood.
He has come under pressure to order a public inquiry into the practices surrounding the disposal of baby ashes.
But speaking after the meeting, the First Minister said the independent commission led by former high court judge Lord Bonomy was a “national response” to the situation.
One of the fourteen parents he met, Linsay Bonar, was told there would be no ashes following her son’s cremation. He died in 2006 at just 33 hours old.
She said: “After two hours we left the office and we felt as if we had been listened to as parents. I think they certainly took everything we said on board.
“I’m a bit saddened to say they are not changing their position on a public inquiry at the moment.
“I think it’s terribly disappointing for parents involved and for those outwith Edinburgh. We put it to the First Minister that the investigation isn’t covering a wide enough span.
“The group will still be pushing for a full public inquiry.”
The scandal emerged last December when it was disclosed that Mortonhall crematorium in Edinburgh secretly buried the ashes of babies for decades without the knowledge of the families.
Since then other local authorities have been implicated.
The independent commission will review policies and practice across Scotland in relation to the handling of ashes following the cremation of babies and infants, and make recommendations for improvements.
Former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini is already leading an investigation into practices at Mortonhall. The First Minister said the meeting had been “very emotional” and praised the courage of parents for speaking out.
“I have every sympathy for parents who have lost their babies, and for those parents whose have learned that the cremated remains of their babies were dispersed or buried without their knowledge or consent,” he said.
“The Infant Cremation Commission, which we have established under the chair of Lord Bonomy, is a national response to that situation. It is in the process of thoroughly examining the policies and practices in all crematoria in Scotland and will report by the end of the year. This will allow us to legislate next year to prevent these terrible events from ever happening again.
“Lord Bonomy has published guidance for cremation authorities for conducting a local investigation, which will ensure investigations are transparent, independent and objective, and are respectful and sensitive to the concerns of affected families.
“As Dame Elish Angiolini’s investigation is doing in Edinburgh, I believe the remaining authorities could and should investigate any case brought to them to provide parents with the answers they deserve.”