§ 58. Mr. KELLYasked the Minister of Health whether, seeing that a registrar of deaths has to put numerous questions regarding each case, and that on his action depends the whole machinery that links up death registration with the coroner's system, he will say whether these questions are prescribed by Regulation or whether it is the duty of the registrar to ask any question which may elicit information as to the cause of death; and whether it is the registrar's duty when, either from the medical certificate or from other information, the 860 death seems to have occurred from starvation or to have been accelerated by privation to refer it to the coroner?
§ Sir K. WOODIt is not the duty of the registrar to ask questions in cases where the cause of death is certified by the medical practitioner who attended the deceased person. Where the cause of death is not so certified, the registrar is required to refer the case to the coroner, and only to enter the cause of death according to information elicited by himself in cases where the coroner has deemed an inquest unnecessary. Even where the cause of death is medically certified, it is the duty of the registrar to refer the case to the coroner if information is available to him that death may have been due to causes falling within certain defined categories laid down by Regulation. These categories include cases where death appears to have been due either directly or indirectly to starvation or privation in the ordinary sense of those terms.
§ Mr. KELLYDoes the registrar, if he is in any doubt, communicate with his Chief Registrar, or with the coroner, or with some other officer?
§ Sir K. WOODIn the cases referred to in this question he has to refer to the coroner.