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Funerals.

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Mairead Clarkin

Dear South Lanarkshire Council,

I am undertaking a study on the numbers of Public Health/Welfare Funerals undertaken by LA's in Scotland. I would appreciate it if you would provide answers to the following FOI request.

1. The total number of public health funerals (where the deceased
has no relatives or there is no one else willing to pay) that your LA has undertaken for the financial years 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18?

2. The number of public health funerals that your LA has
undertaken by gender for the past 3 financial years?

3. The number of public health funerals that your LA has
undertaken by age for the past 3 financial years?
Since April 2015, how many cases have there been where family and
friends refuse to finance or make arrangements for their relatives
funeral?

4. How much have the burials/cremations cost the LA broken down
by year for the last three financial years? This cost information
does not need to include administrative or staff costs, and before
any costs are claimed back by the local authority from the
deceased’s estate

5. How much does your trust typically (average cost) pay for a
Public Health Funeral?

6. What does your LA provide at a Public Health Funeral?

7. What relationship do you have with your local NHS Trust
regarding funerals of this nature?

8. Have you observed any of the following over the last three
years?

• Higher numbers or people dying without any income or assets
• Higher numbers of people dying with family or friends unable to
contribute to the costs of a funeral
• Higher numbers of people dying with family or friends unwilling
to contribute to the costs of a funeral
• Higher numbers of people dying with no friends or family

Yours faithfully,

Mairead Clarkin

Dear Ms Clarkin

 

Thank you for your information request regarding public health funerals
held in the last 3 financial years.  A full response will be provided as
soon as possible but no later than 12 June 2018.  In the meantime, if you
have any queries, please contact the office, details below.

 

Regards

 

FWGS on behalf of Bereavement Services

Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services

Community and Enterprise Resources

South Lanarkshire Council

18 Forrest Street

Blantyre

G72 0JP

Tel No: 0303 123 1020

Email: [1][email address]

Web:   [2]www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk

 

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FFGS, South Lanarkshire Council

Dear Ms Clarkin

 

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA)

Request for Information

 

I refer to your information request received by the Council on 14 May 2018
in which you ask for the following information:

 

1.     The total number of public health funerals (where the deceased has
no relatives or there is no one else willing to pay) that you LA has
undertaken for the financial years 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18?

2.     The number of public health funerals that your LA has undertaken by
gender for the past 3 financial years?

3.     The number of public health funerals that your LA has undertaken by
age for the past 3 financial years?  Since April 2015, how many cases have
there been where family and friends refuse to finance or make arrangements
for their relatives funeral?

4.     How much have the burials/cremations cost the LA broken down by
year for the last three financial years?  This cost information does not
need to include administrative or staff costs and before any costs are
claimed back by the local authority from the deceased’s estate.

5.     How much does your trust typically (average cost) pay for a Public
Health Funeral?

6.     What does your LA provide at a Public Health Funeral?

7.     What relationship do you have with your local NHS Trust regarding
funerals of this nature?

8.     Have you observed any of the following over the last three years?

a.     Higher numbers of people dying without any income or assets.

b.     Higher numbers of people dying with family or friends unable to
contribute to the costs of a funeral.

c.     Higher numbers of people dying with family or friends unwilling to
contribute to the costs of a funeral.

d.     Higher numbers of people dying with no friends or family.

 

Response to Requests

 

The Council has searched its records and has located the information that
you have requested as detailed below:

 

1.     The total number of public health funerals undertaken is as
follows:

·       2015/16 – 9 funerals

·       2016/17 – 14 funerals

·       2017/18 – 21 funerals

 

2.     The number of public health funerals undertaken broken down by
gender is as follows:

·       2015/16 – Male x 5 / Female x 4

·       2016/17 – Male x 10 / Female x 4

·       2016/17 – Male x 17 / Female x 4

 

3.     The number of public health funerals undertaken broken down by age
is as follows:

·       2015/16 – 44 years

50 years

59 years

63 years

64 years

65 years

75 years

76 years

77 years

 

·       2016/17 – 32 years

46 years

48 years

53 years

54 years

56 years

57 years

60 years

61 years

68 years

74 years

81 years

82 years

97 years

 

·       2017/18 – 32 years

49 years

49 years

52 years

54 years

57 years

62 years

62 years

63 years

63 years

69 years

73 years

74 years

75 years

75 years

75 years

77 years

79 years

83 years

99 years

 

4.     The total cost of burials/cremations undertaken is as follows:

·       2015/16 - £4,050.00

·       2016/17 - £6,300.00

·       2017/18 - £9,450.00

 

5.     The cost of a public health funeral is £450.00.

 

6.     South Lanarkshire Council provide a coffin, transport to the
crematorium/cemetery by a professional funeral director and the
burial/cremation.

 

7.     The Council has a good relationship with the NHS.  They have the
appropriate contact details and know where, when and who to contact in the
event that someone passes away in these circumstances.

 

8.     a) Information on people dying without any income or assets is not
held and therefore this information is refused in terms of Section 17 of
FOISA.

b) Yes, there have been higher numbers of people dying with family and
friends unable to contribute to the costs of a funeral

c) Yes, there have been higher numbers of people dying with family and
friends unwilling to contribute to the costs of a funeral

d) No, there has not been a higher number of people dying with no friends
or family.

 

Request for Review

           

The Council has a Review Panel to deal with complaints from people who are
not happy about the way that it has handled their request.  Staff not
involved in the original decision will handle any review.

 

If you want to complain, you can ask the Review Panel to look at the way
that we have dealt with your request.  It will consider whether we have
complied with the requirements of FOISA.  Please note that if you wish to
complain, you must do so by 11 August 2018.  You must explain why you are
not happy when requesting a review.

 

Please note that the Review Panel cannot consider any decisions taken by
the Council or actions of the Council or any of its employees or a service
provided by it that are not connected to the handling of your request for
information.

 

You should send your request for a review to:

            Mr. W. Dunn

            Information Compliance Manager

            Finance and Corporate Resources

            Floor 11

            Council Offices

            Almada Street

            Hamilton

            ML3 0AA

 

Alternatively, you can request a review at
[1][email address].

 

Appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner

 

If you are not happy with the outcome of the review, you can appeal to the
Scottish Information Commissioner.  The Commissioner will decide whether
we have dealt with your request properly.  Please see the Commissioner’s
website at [2]www.itspublicknowledge.info for further details.

 

Regards

 

FWGS on behalf of Bereavement Services

Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services

Community and Enterprise Resources

South Lanarkshire Council

18 Forrest Street

Blantyre

G72 0JP

Tel No: 0303 123 1020

Email: [3][email address]

Web:   [4]www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk

 

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______________________________________________________________________
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References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Mairead Clarkin please sign in and let everyone know.