HC Deb 07 May 1928 vol 217 c44W
Sir C. OMAN

asked the Minister of Health whether, as it is part of the duty of a registrar of deaths to decide whether to give a burial certificate or whether to send a case to the coroner, he will provide that officers of the boards of guardians shall not be appointed registrars of deaths for the future, and vice versa?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

A registrar of births and deaths is required by regulations to report to the coroner every death which, on the information before him in the medical certificate or other, wise, was due to any one of certain prescribed causes or occurred in certain prescribed circumstances, and, pending consideration by the coroner, to defer registration and the issue of an authority for burial. He has thus no discretion to decide whether to report such cases or not. I am aware of no reason for apprehension that registrars of births and deaths do not discharge faithfully the duties of their office in those cases where they also hold Poor Law office.