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Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016

Current text a fecha 2016-12-28

PART 1 — Burial

Burial grounds

Meaning of “burial ground”

1

In this Act, “burial ground”—

Meaning of “burial authority”

2

In this Act, “burial authority”, in relation to a burial ground, means the person having responsibility for the management of the burial ground.

Provision of burial ground: local authority

3

Provision of burial ground outwith local authority area

4

A local authority may provide a burial ground that is situated wholly or partly outwith the area of the authority.

Joint provision of burial ground

5

Management of burial ground

6

Right to erect building

7

Burial in burial ground

Application to carry out burial

8

Unauthorised burial: offences

9

Burial register

10

Burial register: offence

11

Right of burial

12

Duty to sell right of burial

13

Duration and extension of right of burial

14

Commonwealth War Graves Commission: right of burial

15

Right of burial: notification of pending extinguishment

16

Register of rights of burial

17

Registers under section 17: offence

18

Right to erect headstone

19

Fees for burials

20

Burial authority: code of practice

21

Private burial

Private burial

22

Private burial register

23

Private burial: offences

24

Private burial register: offence

25

Offence

Burial other than in burial ground: offence

26

Exhumation

Exhumation of human remains

27

Exhumation application: offences

28

Appeal to sheriff

29

Exhumation register

30

Exhumation register: offence

31

Lair: restoration to use

Restoration to use of lair: consultation

32

Notification: right-holder

33

Notification where right-holder cannot be found

34

Section 34: effect of objection

35

Extinguishment of right

36

Restoration to use

37

Restoration to use without extinguishment of right

38

Right-holder’s right to object

39

Restoration to use on request of right-holder

40

Headstones

41

Register of restored lairs

42

Register of restored lairs: offence

43

Guidance

44

PART 2 — Cremation

Cremation

Meaning of “cremation” and “ashes”

45

Provision of crematorium: local authority

46

Cremation authority: duties

47

Application for cremation

48

Section 48: offences

49

Requirements for carrying out cremation

50

Handling of ashes

Duty of cremation authority before carrying out cremation

51

Duty of cremation authority following cremation

52

Failure to collect ashes

53

Power of funeral director in relation to ashes

54

the funeral director may return the ashes to the cremation authority.

Duties of cremation authority where ashes returned

55

Handling of ashes: regulations

56

Register

Cremation register

57

Cremation register: offence

58

Crematorium: further requirements

New crematorium: notice

59

Section 59: offences

60

Closure of crematorium

61

Section 61: offence

62

Fees

Fees for cremation and other services

63

Code of practice

Cremation authority: code of practice

64

PART 3 — Arrangements

Adults and children

Arrangements on death of adult

65

subsection (3) is to be read as if paragraph (a) were omitted.

Arrangements on death of child

66

Arrangements under sections 65 and 66

67

Sections 65 and 66: application to sheriff

68

Pregnancy loss after 24 weeks

Arrangements on termination of pregnancy after 24 weeks

69

Section 69: health body authorised to make arrangements

70

Section 69: no arrangements

71

Duty of health body where still-birth likely to occur

72

Section 72: health body authorised to make arrangements

73

Arrangements on still-birth

74

Section 74: power of appropriate health body

75

Section 74: general power of appropriate health body

76

Pregnancy loss on or before 24 weeks

Duty of health body where pregnancy loss likely to occur

77

Section 77: health body authorised to make arrangements

78

Arrangements on pregnancy loss on or before 24 weeks

79

Change in arrangements

80

Individual authorised to make arrangements

81

Duty to transfer remains

82

Appropriate health authority authorised to make arrangements

83

Duty of appropriate health authority

84

Pregnancy losses: general

Duty to keep register

85

Register under section 85: offence

86

Local authority functions

Burial or cremation: duty of local authority

87

Expenses of attending funeral

88

PART 4 — Inspection

Appointment of inspectors

89

Inspections: regulations

90

Powers of entry and inspection

91

Section 91: offences

92

Reports

93

PART 5 — Funeral directors

Funeral directors’ businesses: licensing

94

Licensing scheme: regulations

95

Licence for funeral director’s business: offences

96

Funeral director: code of practice

97

PART 6 — Miscellaneous

Guidance on funeral costs

Guidance on funeral costs

98

Powers to modify enactments

Power to extend application of Act

99

Power to suspend or modify certain enactments

100

Acquisition of land

Acquisition of land

101

In the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, in section 70(1) (acquisition of land by agreement) and section 71(1) (acquisition of land compulsorily), “enactment” is to be construed as if it included the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016.

PART 7 — General

Information and registers to be kept in electronic form

102

Offences by bodies corporate etc.

103

Regulations: consultation requirements

104

Regulations under section 95(1): requirements

105

Regulations: parliamentary procedure

106

Interpretation

107

Ancillary provision

108

Minor and consequential amendments

109

Schedule 1 contains minor amendments and amendments consequential on the provisions of this Act.

Repeals

110

The enactments mentioned in the first column in schedule 2 (which include enactments that are spent) are repealed to the extent specified in the second column.

Crown application

111

Commencement

112

Short title

113

The short title of this Act is the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016.

SCHEDULE 1

Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968

1

In section 29 (power of local authority to defray expenses of certain persons in visiting persons or attending funerals)—

(1A) In subsection (1), “child” has the meaning given by section 93(2)(a) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. (1B) In subsection (1), the reference to a child who is “looked after” by a local authority is to be construed in accordance with section 17(6) of that Act of 1995.

.

Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008

2

In the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008, in section 92(1)(b) (application for order in relation to bodies retained in premises)—

— (i) is satisfied that no arrangements have been or are being made under section 65(2) or 66(2) of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 for disposal of the body; or (ii)

, and

SCHEDULE 2

Meaning of “burial ground”

Meaning of “cremation” and “ashes”

Arrangements on death of adult

Appointment of inspectors

Funeral directors' businesses: licensing

Guidance on funeral costs

Information and registers to be kept in electronic form

Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968

Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008

Editorial notes

[^key-f1840fad00907e764c2d588f338427fe]: S. 1 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-2d092a6e6e9730f132802bfc625ba359]: S. 2 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-36aa74755e47c44953f64fe37f02973e]: S. 3 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-1c88713d999653abe66772fb84e67bcc]: S. 4 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-679d930ceb96b499471010153b0eaa98]: S. 5 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-f684481b27f9b046eb17e7f708fad77d]: S. 6 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-2052a21fc4766b81103a8831f09c1562]: S. 7 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-eaa43b07563eaa09c12059708b4923f7]: S. 17 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-d97bbb8071821931fef302c17da74f3d]: S. 20 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with regs. 4, 5)

[^key-1e2be2271919c78a1c9937f44af8c0fa]: S. 89(1)(a)(c)(2)-(6) in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-789896e58fc2718789131bdd24b82d9f]: S. 93 in force at 28.12.2016 for specified purposes by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-36a102e4dd37c0c7f17c1a5791f8a3df]: S. 101 in force at 28.12.2016 by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-15dc89dcf276fe3d7ae4bb2f4d12d051]: S. 104(1) in force at 28.12.2016 for specified purposes by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-0d0e241490ea40bceb6eecdb02327ffb]: S. 110 in force at 28.12.2016 for specified purposes by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with reg. 4)

[^key-bf5b9bf717951d1ffc1dff797cfd0607]: Sch. 2 in force at 28.12.2016 for specified purposes by S.S.I. 2016/417, reg. 2, sch. (with regs. 3, 4)