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National Assistance Act, 1948
(a) Section 47—Removal to Suitable Premises of Persons in need
of care and attention
Cases concerning persons who were living in insanitary surroundings
and who were not receiving proper care and attention continued
to be brought to the notice of the Department.
On each occasion it was possible to make satisfactory arrangements
for these persons without having to resort to compulsory
removal to suitable premises under the provisions of the above
Section.
(b) Section 50—Burial or Cremation of the Dead
It is the duty of the Local Authority to cause to be buried or
cremated the body of any person who has died or been found dead
in the area, in any case where it appears to the authority that no
suitable arrangements for the disposal of the body have been or arc
being otherwise made.
In these circumstances, the deceased persons are buried in the
St. Pancras Cemetery. The expenses incurred in each case amount
to a total of £18 15s. 6d. This charge is inclusive of the undertaker's
fee and the cemetery fee, and may, of course, vary from time
to time. The Local Authority may be able to recover part or all of
this sum from the estate of the deceased person.
Three burials were carried out by the Council in accordance with
the provisions of this Section.
Burial Act, 1857
Licences for the removal of human remains under the above Act
state, inter alia, "It is considered advisable that the Medical Ofticcr
of Health should be notified whenever such a licence is granted in
order that he may be in a position to take (under his general powers)
any action that may appear to him to be necessary in the interests of
public health." Five copies of licences for such removals were received
from the Home Office during the year.
The exhumations were carried out in the early hours of the
morning and were visited when necessary by one of the public health
inspectors, in order to ascertain that the conditions of the licences
were complied with.
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