Ciaran James Williamson

1. I recommend that the Scottish Government issue separate guidance on memorial safety in cemeteries for use by local authorities throughout Scotland. Such guidance should include a category of advice on how to inspect large, traditional monuments such as the Ross memorial, as distinct from lawn memorials and other smaller structures. Given the potential danger posed by large leaning memorials, these should be given special attention and clear guidance issued as to the procedures for testing their safety and stability in order to assess whether there is concerning movement associated with such structures.

2. I recommend that Glasgow City Council reconsider their recent 2015 guidance on memorial inspection to take account of the issues raised in this Inquiry.

3. I recommend that consideration be given by the relevant agencies and associations that the existing industry guidance on memorial safety and stability testing be re-visited with a view to producing separate guidance on the inspection of traditional memorials and, in particular, those whose centres of gravity are shifting from the vertical.