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39
equal participating member of the Crematorium Joint Committee
owning and operating the Breakspear Crematorium at
Ruislip.
2. With the object of a further recommendation being submitted as
soon as possible, the Open Spaces Committee be hereby authorised
to keep under consideration the question of finding a suitable
site for building a crematorium in the Borough to serve those
parts of the Borough not easily accessible to the Breakspear
Crematorium.
Burial
Under Section 50 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, the Council
can arrange for the burial or cremation of any person who has died or
has been found dead in their area if no other suitable arrangements are
being made.
Each year there has been a small number of requests for these
arrangements for burial to be made. There was none in this last year.
Mortuary
The district is served by the one mortuary at Peel Road which is
under the care of a full-time mortuary attendant Mr. C. Russell of 30
Lome Road, Wealdstone.
Advantage is being taken of the decision to erect the new disinfecting
station to replace the one at the former Honeypot Lane Isolation Hospital
near to the mortuary to improve the facilities. The viewing room will
be transferred to be adjacent to the main room, and adequate waiting
accommodation for visitors will be provided. In the meantime, existing
facilities have been improved. The Public Health Committee at its
meeting on the 3rd January, 1961 accepted tenders for the work of
improving the viewing arrangements, providing a steam disinfector and
garage, a covered way and offices at the mortuary site.
The question of providing a relief for the mortuary keeper when he is
absent on holiday or through illness has been a problem ever since the
resignation of the member of the Council staff who carried out these
relief duties. Failing obtaining someone in the Council's service, for many
years this work has been done by a local undertaker. The Borough of
Wembley have now erected their new mortuary, and the two authorities
have agreed that when one helper is absent that mortuary should be
closed, bodies from both districts going to the other mortuary, no charge
being made by either authority to the other. The temporary arrangement
by which pending the provision of the new mortuary in Wembley, bodies
from the Wembley area were received in the Corporation's mortuary at
a charge of £2 each came to an end during the year.
During the year 273 bodies were received in the mortuary. Post
mortem examinations were carried out on all but one of the bodies
admitted. Inquests were held on forty-four.