Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Head of Finance, Property & Climate Resilience presenting the revised Policy for National Assistance Burials.

The Group had before it a report * from the Head of Finance, Property & Climate Resilience presenting the revised Policy for National Assistance Burials.

The contents of the report were outlined with particular reference to the following:

·         This was a simple update to an existing policy.

·         Section 1.4 listed the changes that had been made.

·         In summary, the policy covered circumstances where the deceased did not have any family. On average, there were about 3 such occurrences each year.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         A possible review of the Funeral Directors used in order to check that the Council was using the most suitable and local firm.

·         Would the numbers be likely to increase given the number of fractured families in existence? No projections had been made but this could be looked into. There had been 36 deaths since 2006 where the policy had had to be used.

RECOMMENDED to the Cabinet that:

The revised Policy for National Assistance Burials be adopted.

(Proposed by Cllr C Harrower and seconded by Cllr M Jenkins)

Reason for the decision

As set out in the report.

Note: * Report previously circulated.