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31. MORTUARY AND BURIAL ARRANGEMENTS
Public Mortuary
The public mortuary is situated in Petersfield Road, Acton, W.3, and has a
capacity for 40 bodies. The Council is responsible for providing mortuary accommodation
when death occurs in the Borough in certain circumstances. These are firstly, when
death follows an accident, and secondly, when the cause of death is unknown and the
Coroner decrees that a post mortem examination shall be carried out by a Home Office
Pathologist.
616 bodies of residents from the following areas were taken to the mortuary.
Ealing 534
Hillingdon 26
Hammersmith 7
Harrow 7
Hounslow 7
Brent 4
Richmond-upon-Thames 3
Others 28
Total 616
One full-time mortuary attendant is employed and arrangements are made with the
London Borough of Hammersmith for bodies to be received there when he is absent for
any reason.
Burial or Cremation of the Dead - National Assistance Act, 1948, Section 50.
Burials and cremations of the dead are arranged by the Council when relatives of
a deceased person are unable to afford the cost of a burial, or when no relative can be
found, and no previous provision has been made by the deceased. The Council is
required to make these arrangements if the death takes place within the Borough, whether
or not the home address is within that area. Application is made to the Ministry of
Social Security and the appropriate death grant obtained, and any monies due from
insurance policies on the life of the deceased are taken by the Council to offset the
cost of the burial or cremation. Any balance remaining after meeting burial costs is passed
to relatives if any are found. There were 14 such burials and two cremations carried
out during the year.
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