FOI request (FOIR-354578053)

Paupers Funerals

Requested Fri 06 August 2021
Responded Fri 27 August 2021

1. What enquiries are generally conducted by the local authority to identify a found unidentified body?

2. How and where is information relating to public health funerals recorded and stored? (Please comment on both digital and physical recording/storing)

3. Does the recorded information include the location of the bodies within cemeteries or crematoriums?

4. Are unidentified bodies usually buried or cremated?

5. Are cases of unidentified bodies reviewed? If so, what does this involve and when?

6. What records and systems are cross-matched with information relating to cases of unidentified bodies?

7. When is information relating to public health funerals deleted or destroyed?

8. How is information relating to public health funerals shared between individuals, departments, police forces, different agencies, and with the public?

9. Are there any differences in the above processes relating to unidentified body parts? If so, what are the differences?

10. Who has the overall responsibility for public health funerals within the local authority?

11. How can the management of information related to unidentified bodies be improved?

12. Is there a person within the local authority who would be willing to be contacted by the PhD researcher to answer further questions that will take approximately 30 minutes? If so, what are their contact details?

Response

The Freedom of Information Act is based on recorded information held by a local authority. It is not a tool to ask questions or opinions, however to be helpful we have answered the questions as best we can.

1. Information not held - in such cases the police or coroner would take charge.

2. The basic physical application forms and information are stored securely. Working information is stored securely, electronically with limited access.

3. Hastings Borough Council only bury/cremate people in the borough's facilities, this information is held as part of the permanent cremation/ burial records.

4. Information not held

5. Information not held, this would be dealt with by the Coroner's Service.

6. Information not held

7. This question is not specific enough to answer, it is too wide.

8. Any information given out is in line with data protection legislation and where applicable, where they have legal representation, for example, Letters of Administration.

9. Information not held

10. Authority to organise the funeral is delegated the cemetery and crematorium manager.

11. Information not held

12. Locally as this is not in our remit, it would not be beneficial to the requester as we would be of little help. The corners, registrars, police and so on are independent.