Public Health Funerals
Case reference FOI2023/00110
Published 16 February 2023
Request
I am writing to request the following information regarding funerals arranged by the Council under Section 46 Public Health Act 1984 (England and Wales) and Section 87 of the Burial and Cremation Act 2002 (Scotland).
1. How many such funerals has the Council arranged since 22 September 2022?
2. In each case please disclose:
a) The name and last residential address of the deceased
b) The deceased's dates of birth and death
c) Whether the deceased's next of kin/family members have been traced
d) Whether the deceased's estate has been referred to the Government Legal Department or elsewhere
3. Has the Council passed this information to any other individual or organisation (either formally through a FOI request or by other means)?
4. Does the Council work with any genealogist? If so, which?
5. Does the Council publish a list of Public Health Funerals it has arranged? If so:
a) Where is the list published (please provide web url if on-line)?
b) How often is the list updated?
c) When was the list last updated?
6. Who in the Council is responsible for the Council's Public Health Funerals? Please advise us of their names and contact details.
Response
I am writing to request the following information regarding funerals arranged by the Council under Section 46 Public Health Act 1984 (England and Wales) and Section 87 of the Burial and Cremation Act 2002 (Scotland).
1. How many such funerals has the Council arranged since 22 September 2022?
0
2. In each case please disclose:
a) The name and last residential address of the deceased
b) The deceased's dates of birth and death
c) Whether the deceased's next of kin/family members have been traced
d) Whether the deceased's estate has been referred to the Government Legal Department or elsewhere
In response to question 2 there have been no such cases.
3. Has the Council passed this information to any other individual or organisation (either formally through a FOI request or by other means)?
Yes, though FOI requests as well as information publicly available on the council website.
4. Does the Council work with any genealogist? If so, which?
No, the council does not work with any genealogists in relation to public health funerals.
5. Does the Council publish a list of Public Health Funerals it has arranged? If so:
a) Where is the list published (please provide web url if on-line)?
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/births-deaths-marriages/someone-dies/6
b) How often is the list updated?
Approximately every three months the data is checked and updates made if required.
c) When was the list last updated?
29 November 2022
6. Who in the Council is responsible for the Council's Public Health Funerals? Please advise us of their names and contact details.
Elisabeth Laughland
Principle Environmental Health Officer
Email: elaughland@herefordshire.gov.uk
Herefordshire Councils environmental health department have a duty to carry out the funeral arrangements for public health funeral cases under the 'Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 and recover cost of the funeral from the estate if possible. The matters of the deceased estate is not a matter dealt with by the team, other than informing the Treasure in cases where this is appropriate. All contact made to the department regarding the provision of a genealogist service are informed we do not require their service.
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Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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