HC Deb 19 May 1986 vol 98 cc10-1W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to introduce a requirement that all deaths of foster children must be reported to the coroner within 24 hours.

Mr. Mellor

We have no present plans for legislation on this matter. Under the Foster Children Act, the death of a foster child must be notified to the local authority and the person from whom the child was received. If a child is boarded out under the Boarding Out of Children Regulations the foster parents undertake to notify the local authority immediately of a serious occurrence. The register of births, deaths and marriages is required to report to the coroner any death which he has reason to believe was caused by violence or neglect or to have been attended by suspicious circumstances.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the British Medical Association's report "Deaths in the Community," he has any plans to amend the rules relating to death certification so that in cases where a doctor is unable to verify the cause of death, a certificate of the fact of death is sent to the coroner.

Mr. Whitney

I have been asked to reply.

In the case of a death of any person, a doctor who attended that person during the last illness is required to sign a certificate stating the cause of death to the best of his knowledge and belief. Where no such doctor is available, or where he is unable to give a cause of death or expresses doubts as to the cause of death, the case will be referred to the coroner.

There are no plans at present to amend the legislation relating to death certification in this respect.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to seek to amend legislation relating to the registration of stillbirths to bring the law into line with the law on registration of other births and deaths.

Mr. Whitney

I have been asked to reply.

While improvements have been made in the certification of stillbirths following the introduction of the new cause of stillbirths certificate on 1 January 1986, there are at present no plans to amend the primary legislation relating to the registration of stillbirths.