§ 17. Mr. C. Wilsonasked the Home Secretary upon whom the responsibility rests for deciding in the case of death by accident or other misadventure where the body shall be deposited and where any post-mortem examination directed or requested by the coroner shall take place?
§ Sir J. SimonBy Section 24 of the Coroners (Amendment) Act, 1926, a coroner may, for the purpose of a postmortem examination, order that the body be removed to any place which may be provided for the purpose, either within his jurisdiction or within an adjoining coroner's jurisdiction; but he may not under that Section order the removal to 513 any place other than a place within his jurisdiction provided by a sanitary authority or nuisance authority except with the consent of the person or authority by whom the place is provided.
§ Mr. WilsonIf I bring to the right hon. Gentleman's notice a number of cases which show that the position is very unsatisfactory, will he have the whole matter investigated?
§ Sir J. SimonI will certainly make any investigation that I can make of any cases which the hon. Gentleman thinks he ought to bring to my notice.
§ 18. Mr. Wilsonasked the Home Secretary the number of coroners' districts; whether in each of them there is a mortuary; or, if not, whether any arrangement exists for the use of a mortuary in an adjoining district?
§ Sir J. SimonThe number of coroners' districts, including franchise coronerships, is 339. I regret that I have not the detailed information which would be necessary to enable me to answer the remainder of the question.