SCOTTISH ministers face calls to cover the cost of child burials today after Tories bowed to pressure and announced they would scrap the fees in England.

Labour MP Carolyn Harris has waged a heartfelt campaign to relieve parents of the financial burden for those under the age of 18.

In a speech in Parliament last autumn, she recounted being forced to borrow £700 and get donations from neighbours when her son Martin was killed in a road accident 29 years ago.

The Welsh government subsequently announced that it had set aside £1.5 million to eliminate council fees for burying children.

And this weekend PM Theresa May announced a £10 million fund to cover the costs in England. This leaves the nine Scottish councils as the last areas where bereaved parents will be charged to bury their kids.

This morning, SNP Communities Secretary Angela Constance will receive a letter calling for the government to intervene from her Labour opposite number Monica Lennon.

Ms Lennon told the Star: “Carolyn Harris has fought from the heart and won, ensuring parents in England and Wales, stricken by unimaginable grief, will be spared the added worry of the cost of burying their child. 

“It is good news for families across England that the UK government will follow the lead of Wales in abolishing these charges and is an example of what committed, passionate campaigning can achieve.”

There are huge variations in burial charges across Scottish councils. Many waive fees for the families of dead children, but the age cut-off ranges from 14 to 18 between authorities.

The highest fees – up to £827 for children over 12 – are charged in Dundee.

Ms Lennon’s call was echoed by the Scottish Tories. The party’s communities spokesman Alexander Stewart told the Scotsman that the SNP government “should follow the lead of the Conservatives at Westminster and explore the establishment of a similar fund north of the border.”

A Scottish government spokeswoman said it had “noted” the Westminster government’s announcement and was “already actively considering ways” to further support bereaved families in Scotland.

“We will introduce a new funeral expense assistance from summer 2019,” the spokeswoman said.

“We have engaged with local authorities, the funeral sector and other services to find ways to provide more affordable funerals and we will continue to support innovative measures to address the costs.”