Updates will be published every three months. The current information on Public Health Funerals was last updated in July 2023.
Exemption of updated information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
There are relatively few public health funerals in Basingstoke and Deane, therefore, we consider that publication of this information at quarterly intervals is reasonable. The provision of updated information before the next planned update will be refused under Section 22 of the Act as it is information that we hold with the intention of publishing at some future date, as specified above.
Exemption of additional information under The Freedom of Information Act 2000
We apply the following exemptions to the release of any further information about public health funerals, people who have died with no known next of kin, bona vacantia estates and estates which have been referred to the Government Legal Department, or Duchy of Lancaster or Cornwall:
Section 21 – Information reasonably accessible to the applicant by another means
The council’s reason for applying this exemption is that details of all deaths within the borough are registered. Deaths can be registered at any Registry Office and contact details of all those within Hampshire, including the Basingstoke Registry Office, can be found on the Hampshire County Council website.
Information that the council holds on estates passed, or estates to be passed, to the Government Legal Department, is considered to be held on behalf of the Government Legal Department. Some details of the estate of those persons who have died and which have been passed to the Government Legal Department or via the Bona Vacantia.
Section 31 - Law Enforcement
Revealing details of the assets of an estate before the Government Legal Department has undertaken their own enquiries would provide an opportunity for criminal acts to be committed (for example, theft or fraud). Similarly, there would be concerns about making the last known address of the deceased public, as the property is likely to be unoccupied and might still contain the deceased’s personal papers and effects. There is also a continuing risk after the estate has been secured of, for example, identity theft. Taking into account the above issues, the council considers that there is no over-riding public interest in releasing the information requested. Any public interest would be best served by upholding the exemption under Section 31 of the Act as disclosure of the information would be likely to prejudice the prevention of crime by enabling or encouraging the commission of offences.
Applicants should be aware that the exemption of additional information under Section 21 and Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 has been upheld by an Internal Review.
