§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement indicating the date of appointment of the departmental committee on Death Certification and Coroners; who constitute the committee; whether experts in Scottish law and conditions have been appointed; how many sittings it has had; whether those sittings were in public; what 354W evidence it has taken; and when he expects it will report.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe Committee was appointed on 17th March, 1965. Its members are:
- Mr. Norman Brodrick, Q.C. (Chairman).
- Professor W. Melville Arnott.
- Mr. R. M. Bingham, Q.C.
- Lady Dyer.
- Dr. D. L. Kerr, M.P.
- Colonel P. H. Lloyd.
- Dr. G. R. Osborn
- Mr. D. Osmond.
- Dr. L. Rosen.
The Committee has invited written evidence from about a hundred organisations, received submissions from a number of individuals, and taken oral evidence about the matters relating to death certification and the pathological services required by coroners. The Committee does not include experts in Scottish law or conditions, but has obtained evidence on these matters. It has had 14 sittings, all in private.
I understand that the Committee is aiming to present its report by the end of this year.