Decision details

Date of Decision:

12 March 2019

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Polly Hamilton

Assistant Director Culture Sport and Tourism

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Finance and Procurement Procedure Rule 60 (Contract variations and modifications)

Brief Description of Decision:

To make contractual variations with the service provider Dignity plc, in order to operate a pilot to extend the time a burial can take place at East Herringthorpe cemetery from 15:00 to 18:30 from 1 April 2019 – 30 September 2019.

To extend the out of hours burial service provided by the Registration Service to operate between 09:00 and 17:00 from 1st April 2019 – 30th September 2019 to enable service extended provision throughout the pilot.

The pilot will exclude Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Reasons for the Decision:

To enhance the offering primarily for those who need to arrange a funeral at short notice for faith reasons. This provides an enhanced service for a group with protected characteristics.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Offering remain unchanged.  This decision was rejected as it did not address the concerns raised by the Muslim community relating to the pressures faced by families needing to bury at short notice for faith reasons.

Pilot an extension of the time the latest burial can take place to 17:00, as suggested in the report presented to IPSC on 3rd January 2018. This decision was rejected as it did not fully address the concerns raised by the Muslim community, relating to the pressures faced by families needing to bury at short notice for faith reasons.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Reports or parts of reports considered

Report to Improving Places Select Commission 3^rd January 2018 (paragraphs 7 and 23).