Public health burials - disclosure log

Public Health Funerals carried out by Caerphilly County Borough Council during the period 1 January 2010 to 20 May 2022.

Name

Passed to Treasury Solicitor?

Lyndon Oats

No

Cyril Roberts

No

Peter Rundle

No

Karl Wayne Smith

No

Margaret Quinn

No

Vivian Colbeck

No

Terrance Davies

No

Selwyn Watkins

No

John Stuart

No

Courtney James Hamilton

No

David Williams

No

Terrance Austin Stockton

No

Ian Thomas Jenkins

No

David Preston

No

John Glyn Jones

No

Colin Jones

No

Phillip James Davies

No

Ann Holtham

No

David Glyn Jones

No

Andrea Jones

No

Lynford Evans

No

Gwendoline Mary Kellow

No

Brian Bird

No

Brian Arwyn Smith

No

Anthony Reginal Eddy

No

Geofrey Colbert

No

Daniel Irvine

No

William Peter Kerby

No

Roger Williams

No

Leslie Davies

No

Nigel Kerri Everson

No

Emerson Narbed

No

Ronald Mervyn Cripps

No

Michael Anthony Davies

No

Michael Stephen Coghlan

No

Mrs Dragisa Knezenvic

Yes (8/12/2011)

David Mansell Roberts

No

Peter Cole

Yes (14/7/2011)

Margot Petronella Hutchins

Yes (5/2011)

Lester Henry Jones

No

Leonard Anderson

Yes (15/6/2010)

Jeffrey Streets

Yes (25/3/2010)

Peter Nicholls

No

Margaret Rose Simmonds

No

Esme Matilda Grace Jones

No

Raymond Stanley

No

David William Phillips

No

Martha Elizabeth Ann Humphries

No

Cora Sylvia Hardacre

No

Evan Edward Tasker

No

Rodney Glen Peplar

No

Colin Thomas

Yes (3/7/2015)

Adrian James

No

Maldwyn Selway

No (06/07/17)

Sandra Weeks

No

Ronald William Tippins

No

Michael Eric Albert Fox

No

George Stephen Thomas

No

Before any information is put in to the public domain i.e. made accessible to everyone, we have to consider if disclosure is in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  

Information about the last known address of a deceased person, their date of birth, value of estate, etc. will not be disclosed as this information is considered exempt from disclosure under S.31 (1) (a) (Law Enforcement) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This section of the Act sets out an exemption from the right to know, if the release of the information would or would likely prejudice (harm) the prevention or detection of crime. 

When a person dies intestate with no known next of kin, the assets of their estate are at risk until they have been properly identified and secured e.g. freezing bank accounts, locating title deeds, etc. Furthermore, a property may be left unoccupied, and disclosure of this information would leave it vulnerable to squatting and the stripping of any fixtures and fittings.  Therefore, putting details of the date of birth, last known address, value of estate, etc. into the public domain, making it available to all, could prejudice the prevention of crime as it would provide the opportunity for criminal acts of theft or fraud.

It is recognised that there is a public interest argument in favour of the disclosure of this information, in that it could assist in the identification of relatives of the deceased who may be entitled to the estate left by the deceased.

 
However, there are a number of public interest arguments in favour of withholding this information, which would include
 
  • The likely prejudice to the prevention of crime.
  • Identity fraud
  • The avoidance of damage to property.
  • The potential indirect impact on the neighbouring properties should crimes be perpetrated on empty properties.
  • The impact of crime on the owners of empty properties should relatives of the deceased be traced

The last two arguments in favour of the withholding of this information relate to preventing crime against individuals.  There is an extremely strong public interest in the prevention of crime against an individual and it is consider that the public interest is greater in the withholding of the information.
 
Therefore, the name of the deceased and the date that it was referred to the Treasury Solicitor will be disclosed, but all other information is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act for the reasons above.