Recently, NAFD chief executive officer Alan Slater put Social Fund payments under the spotlight once again. In June he highlighted the fact that the level of Social Fund payments has not increased for over five years when he briefed Andrew Selous MP, Conservative Shadow Minister for Work & Pensions, on the profession’s concerns.
The meeting proved extremely useful, as Mr Selous then tabled a Parliamentary Question on the subject to the Minister, James Plaskitt MP, and the NAFD has renewed its commitment to bring pressure on the Government to increase the minimum payment.
Coroners’ and Death Certification Bill Update
The Coroners’ and Death Certification Bill is intended to deliver an improved system of death investigation, so that families can be assured a relative’s cause of death has been properly established and that, where possible, lessons can be learned to prevent future deaths.
The NAFD advises that the Government is proposing to add measures to the Bill, which has now been included in the draft legislative programme, to reform the death certification system. This is in addition to the already established measures relating to reform of the coroner system.
The main elements of the Bill are to:-
- create a new national coroner service, moving towards full-time coroners who work to national minimum standards (funding responsibility will remain with Local Authorities)
- create a new system of secondary certification of deaths that are not referred to the coroner, covering both burials and cremations
- establish a new group of medical examiners to scrutinise independently the causes of death given by doctors on death certificates
- introduce new powers of investigation for coroners, including improved procedures for post mortems and inquests
- establish a new Chief Coroner as head of the coroner service, improve arrangements for coroner appointments and training and provide for independent inspection of coroners
- create new flexible boundaries between coroner areas to enable services to be delivered to families more effectively, and with powers for the Chief Coroner to reallocate work to prevent backlogs developing
- establish new and accessible rights of appeal against coroners’ decisions
- introduce a Charter for the Bereaved, outlining a full range of rights for bereaved people to be informed about and consulted by coroners regarding case progress
Minister of State Ben Bradshaw MP (Department of Health) and Parliamentary Under Secretary Bridgit Prentice MP (Ministry of Justice) are to continue to consult with the All Party Parliamentary Funerals and Bereavement Group on further issues that may arise during the passage of this Bill and until it gains Royal Assent.
Amendments to draft doorstep selling Regulations
On June 12 the Government published its response to the consultation on the draft Cancellation of Contracts Made in a Consumer's Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008. The NAFD had pointed out the need for funeral directors to be paid for conducting funeral arrangements during the cooling-off period, and reports that its views have been recognised in the draft Regulations.
As a result of the NAFD’s lobbying, Regulation 9 specifically includes the conduct of funerals and requires the bereaved to pay for goods and services provided before the contract was cancelled.
"The draft Regulations require Parliament’s approval before they come into force on 1 October 2008, but we are delighted to report this important breakthrough," says Alan Slater.
"Subject to further legal checks, we understand that one contract will be required, but it will need to incorporate an additional clause regarding notice of the right to cancel and the provisions contained in Regulation 9.".
