FOI request details
Request
Subject: Public Health Funerals
Reference: WBC-FOI-00493
1. How many such funerals has the Council arranged since 22 September 2022?
2. In each case please disclose:
a) The name and last residential address of the deceased
b) The deceased's dates of birth and death
c) Whether the deceased's next of kin/family members have been traced
d) Whether the deceased's estate has been referred to the Government Legal Department or elsewhere
3. Has the Council passed this information to any other individual or organisation (either formally through a FOI request or by other means)?
4. Does the Council work with any genealogist? If so, which?
5. Does the Council publish a list of Public Health Funerals it has arranged? If so:
a) Where is the list published (please provide web url if on-line)?
b) How often is the list updated?
c) When was the list last updated?
6. Who in the Council is responsible for the Council's Public Health Funerals? Please advise us of their names and contact details.
Response
Part Disclosed - 2 February 2023
1.How many such funerals has the Council arranged since 22 September 2022?
2.In each case please disclose:
a) The name and last residential address of the deceased
b) The deceased's dates of birth and death
c) Whether the deceased's next of kin/family members have been traced
d) Whether the deceased's estate has been referred to the Government Legal Department or elsewhere
3.Has the Council passed this information to any other individual or organisation (either formally through a FOI request or by other means)?
Please see the attached spreadsheet for details of public health funerals carried out from 01/01/2016 - 31/12/2022.
Please note that revealing details of the assets of an estate before the Treasury Solicitor has undertaken their own enquiries would provide an opportunity for criminal acts to be committed (for example, theft or fraud). Similarly, there would be concerns about making the last known address of the deceased public, as the property is likely to be unoccupied and might still contain the deceased's personal papers and effects. There is also a continuing risk after the estate has been secured of, for example, identity theft. Taking into account the above issues, the Council considers that there is no over-riding public interest in releasing the information requested. Any public interest would be best served by upholding the exemption under Section 31 - Law Enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as disclosure of the information would be likely to prejudice the prevention of crime by enabling or encouraging the commission of offences.
Please also note this information is updated periodically. The next update for public health funerals / next of kin is due by December 2023. As such the Council is not obliged to provide further information before this date as it is exempt under S22 - Information intended for future publication of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
4.Does the Council work with any genealogist? If so, which? Thames Probate
5.Does the Council publish a list of Public Health Funerals it has arranged? If so: No, a list is produced yearly and provided on request (though we are looking into publication)
a) Where is the list published (please provide web url if on-line)? N/A
b) How often is the list updated? N/A
c) When was the list last updated? See above
6.Who in the Council is responsible for the Council's Public Health Funerals? Please advise us of their names and contact details. Client Affairs Team, 020 8871 8608, essdclientaffairsteam@wandsworth.gov.uk
Please note that our responses were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of release, and have not subsequently been updated. This information should be considered an historical record only.