Some of the babies whose ashes were not returned to their families by Emstrey Crematorium
Changes to the way babies are cremated have been proposed by the government after failings at a Shropshire crematorium were exposed.
The move follows a report into Emstrey Crematorium in Shrewsbury, where bereaved parents were told no ashes had been recovered from their children.
A consultation document, external recommended the appointment of an inspector of crematoria for England and Wales and a new universal code of practice.
The consultation period ends in March.
More on this and other stories in Shropshire
Reviews of crematorium facilities and out-of-hours services provided by coroners will be undertaken.
Justice minister Caroline Dinenage said the government also plans to set up a national working group.
At least 60 families were told by Emstrey their children's ashes could not be retrieved following cremation
What are "ashes"?
There is no clear definition of "ashes" in the legislation that currently applies in England and Wales.
This can mean that, from one crematorium to another, different remains may be considered as ashes after a cremation. In the past this has led to misunderstanding and confusion.
The Infant Cremation Commission and Emstrey reports recommended "ashes" be defined in legislation as "all that is left in the cremator at the end of the cremation process and following the removal of any metal".
Olivia Perkins died when she was four months old. Her family was told there were no remains for them to take home. Olivia's father Glen now runs campaign group Action for Ashes
The consultation follows a two-year investigation by BBC Radio Shropshire which found 60 families were denied their child's ashes following cremations at Emstrey.
An independent inquiry, external found no ashes were handed over to parents of children under the age of one between 1996 and 2012.
Since then, the BBC has discovered at least another 30 crematoria where families have expressed concerns - including Hull and Boston.
Analysis: Nick Southall, BBC Radio Shropshire
I'm in touch with more than 70 families across England and Wales and they tell me they need answers. In some cases they have recently discovered there were ashes, despite being told many years ago there wouldn't be any.
Families want changes to legislation and a national inspector of crematoria to enforce the law. But they also want the government to set up a national investigation team to look into historical cases.
This is a landmark moment for the families who've fought tirelessly for national changes.
The consultation will allow parents to share their very personal experiences and only then will the government get a clearer picture of how widespread this is.
The government is also asking for views on regulating cremations of foetuses of less than 24 weeks.
Glen Perkins, leader of the Action For Ashes campaign group, said he would push for a national inspector and a national investigation unit to be introduced.
His four-month-old daughter Olivia was cremated at Emstrey in 2007. Mr Perkins was told there were no remains.
The BBC Radio Shropshire investigation found babies' ashes were returned in just one of 30 cases since 2004
He said: "I am happy that things are moving forward and there will be changes, but we won't be clear until the end of the consultation exactly how far they are willing to change.
"Other families can't go through this. We've lived through this, as have many hundreds of families, and it's just so horrific. It's got to stop."
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