Quite so, CarolC and LH.

However, here we have a system that compels you to take a corpse if you are in the specified famalial relationship, and dispose of it (or the state will and will send you the bill), and teh cheapest cremation canbe done is about £700.

So if teh state would like to take my body and use it (and not charge my kids), I'm very cool with that. I tried to donate my body to science to save that cost (my father did likewise) but the donees will not guarantee to take he body in case it is is no good for science, for example if there has been a post-mortem. So if they are not going to agree to take it, I'm not going to agree to give it to them.

I'm all up for the state turning Burke and Hare....