§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 8 January 2003,Official Report, column 22W, on St. Pancras cemeteries, how many representations he received; what issues were raised in the representations; what response he made to each of the representations; what contacts he had with the contractors responsible for the work as a result of the representations he received; when the work of removing the graves will be completed; how many graves will be removed from the cemetery as a result of the work; how old the graves are which are being removed; what information he has collated regarding surviving relatives of those buried in the graves; and what action he has taken to ensure that the removal of graves is being carried out in conformity with the relevant regulations. [91328]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Secretary of State has to date received nine written representations on this matter, which have raised concerns ranging from the retrieval and recording of archaeological information from the site to the method of working and removal of bodies. London & Continental Railways has continued to liaise closely with contractors and the ecclesiastical authorities, and the Secretary of State's advisers on the CTRL project have been closely involved as work has proceeded. The bulk of the exhumation work will be completed by the end of April. It is estimated that the remains of up to 8,000 bodies will be removed from the site, although not all of these are identifiable individuals. The cemetery closed in 1854 so all the burials pre-date that time. As the site had already been disturbed by 19th century railway construction, there is no identification on the surface of individual burials. Any information from the excavations is recorded by the specialist contractor carrying out the work, which is being done in accordance with legal requirements relevant to burial grounds from this period.