§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the current cost of a death certificate in each hospital; and what guidelines have been issued on the amount charged;
(2) by how much the charge for a death certificate has risen since April 1992;
(3) what was the income to hospitals in 1993 from charges for death certificates;
(4) what is the normal administrative cost of providing a death certificate.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 28 Apri11994]: Hospitals make no charge for providing a certificate of the cause of death. If a body is to be cremated, there is a statutory requirement for the cause of death independent doctors in order to guard against the possibility of concealment of crime. The completion of cremation certificates does not fall within the scope of services required from doctors under the National Health Service Acts and they are therefore entitled to charge a fee. Doctors are guided on the level of such fees by the British Medical Association. The recommended fee is currently £32 per certificate; the recommended fee in April 1992 was £30.