§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for War (1) if he will state the rules governing burials of Service men in Aden, Cyprus, North Africa and Singapore; and whether facilities are available for cremation;
(2) if he will now allow the cremated remains of deceased Service men to be flown home from Middle East and Far East stations if relatives so wish.
(3) whether he will allow one or two relatives to attend the funeral of a deceased Service men at Middle East or Far East stations where repatriation is impossible.
§ Mr. ProfumoIn Aden and Singapore, local laws provide for burial to be carried out, under normal circumstances, within 24 hours. In Tripoli the period is 48 hours, while in Cyprus and Cyrenaica no period is laid down. Facilities for cremation exist only in Singapore. I do not contemplate any alterations in current policy outside North-West Europe for the reasons I gave the House on 14th March, 1963.