§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to a recent prosecution, in connection with the Cremation Act, 1902, at the instance of Mr. Cyril Hugh Sackville Barham, against an alleged executor of his father's will who was deponent to a statutory delaration in support of an application for cremation of his father's. remains, by virtue of which statutory declaration such remains were cremated without the prosecutor, the eldest son, having even been informed of his father's death; and whether, in view of such declaration having in fact been the means of evading the intention of the Act, he will consider the desirability of amending the Regulations made by the Home Department with regard to such statutory declarations so as to prevent the possibility of the recurrence of such a case, and particularly of amending Question No. 4 in any such application so as to read as follows: "Have you personally informed the near relatives of the deceased, and who, or caused them to be severally informed that the cremation of the body of the deceased is about to take place"?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI am weir aware of the facts of this case. The circumstances were very exceptional; the deceased having been estranged and having lived apart from his family for many years. It is the only case of the kind that has so far come to the knowledge of my Department, and I do not 283W think is very likely to recur. I will, however, consider the question of amending the statutory form so as to meet this point in the event of a revision of the Cremation Regulations being undertaken.