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54
Burial or Cremation of the Dead
Under the provisions of Section 50 of the National Assistance Act,
1948, it is the duty of the City Council as a Sanitary Authority to cause
to be buried or cremated the body of any person who has died or is
found dead in the area, where no other arrangements have been made
for the disposal of the body.
The Council is empowered to recover the cost of burial from the
estate of the deceased, and is eligible to receive payments in respect of
the cost of such burial from death grants payable under the provisions of
the National Insurance Act, 1946.
Where persons without known relatives die in the City, it is frequently
necessary not only to arrange for their burial, but to dispose of the
contents of their homes. This is done in consultation with the Treasury
Solicitor. Such action is necessary to enable the proceeds to be applied
towards the cost of burial and also to avoid rent accruing and to release
the accommodation for housing purposes as early as possible.
During the year 51 burials were undertaken by the City Council
in its Cemetery at Hanwell. The requests for the burials were received
from the following sources:—
H.M. Coroner 19
Relatives or friends of the deceased 18
Hospitals in the City 14
Coroner's Court and Mortuary