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| Mortonhall baby ashes: Action plan pledge after report on 'tragedy' | Mortonhall baby ashes: Action plan pledge after report on 'tragedy' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A working group is being created to act on the recommendations of a report into the Mortonhall Crematorium baby ashes scandal in Edinburgh. | A working group is being created to act on the recommendations of a report into the Mortonhall Crematorium baby ashes scandal in Edinburgh. |
| It has been tasked with drawing up an action plan to ensure that there is no repeat of the "tragedy". | It has been tasked with drawing up an action plan to ensure that there is no repeat of the "tragedy". |
| A report by Dame Elish Angiolini, published on Wednesday, made a series of recommendations for improving practices at the crematorium. | A report by Dame Elish Angiolini, published on Wednesday, made a series of recommendations for improving practices at the crematorium. |
| Staff at Mortonhall buried baby ashes in secret for decades. | Staff at Mortonhall buried baby ashes in secret for decades. |
| Parents of young babies were told that no ashes were left when they were cremated. | Parents of young babies were told that no ashes were left when they were cremated. |
| Action plan | Action plan |
| The report said parents affected by the scandal had not been told that ashes were left after their babies were cremated because it would have been "too distressing". | The report said parents affected by the scandal had not been told that ashes were left after their babies were cremated because it would have been "too distressing". |
| Dame Elish described the practice as a "great tragedy" that left some parents facing a "lifetime of uncertainty". | Dame Elish described the practice as a "great tragedy" that left some parents facing a "lifetime of uncertainty". |
| Following the publication of the report, a motion by the council's ruling Capital Coalition was unanimously approved at a meeting Thursday. | Following the publication of the report, a motion by the council's ruling Capital Coalition was unanimously approved at a meeting Thursday. |
| It called for the creation of a multi-agency working group containing representatives from the council, Scottish government, NHS Lothian and Sands Lothian. | It called for the creation of a multi-agency working group containing representatives from the council, Scottish government, NHS Lothian and Sands Lothian. |
| Its remit will be to consider the recommendations in Dame Elish Angiolini's report and devise an action plan. | Its remit will be to consider the recommendations in Dame Elish Angiolini's report and devise an action plan. |
| Andrew Burns, Edinburgh City Council leader, said: "On behalf of the council, I want to offer profound apologies to parents for the distress and pain caused by the previous practices at Mortonhall." | Andrew Burns, Edinburgh City Council leader, said: "On behalf of the council, I want to offer profound apologies to parents for the distress and pain caused by the previous practices at Mortonhall." |
| He said he had asked the council's chief executive to put together a multi-agency working group to consider the report's recommendations. | He said he had asked the council's chief executive to put together a multi-agency working group to consider the report's recommendations. |
| "The group will be tasked with a detailed action plan for consideration at next month's special meeting of council," he said. | "The group will be tasked with a detailed action plan for consideration at next month's special meeting of council," he said. |
| "We must act on the recommendations to ensure that the highest possible standards are adhered to at Mortonhall and that nothing like this can happen again." | "We must act on the recommendations to ensure that the highest possible standards are adhered to at Mortonhall and that nothing like this can happen again." |
| Sue Bruce will be responsible for chairing and facilitating both the operation of the working group and the delivery of its remit. | Sue Bruce will be responsible for chairing and facilitating both the operation of the working group and the delivery of its remit. |
| Dame Elish's report said it was not known for sure what remains of which babies were interred in an unmarked "garden of remembrance" at Mortonhall due to a "longstanding and wholesale failure" to keep accurate records. | Dame Elish's report said it was not known for sure what remains of which babies were interred in an unmarked "garden of remembrance" at Mortonhall due to a "longstanding and wholesale failure" to keep accurate records. |
| The inquiry also found that baby ashes were cremated in the evening when incinerators were cooler, and any ash found in the morning "would be mixed in with the first adult cremation in the morning". | The inquiry also found that baby ashes were cremated in the evening when incinerators were cooler, and any ash found in the morning "would be mixed in with the first adult cremation in the morning". |
| There will be a ministerial statement on the Mortonhall Investigation Report at 2.30pm, which can be viewed live or later on demand, at BBC Scotland's Democracy Live website. |