Decision details

A decision needs to be made in relation to Southampton City Council entering into a formal funding agreement with Hampshire Country Council to provide a Coroners Service. This is a statutory function that we must have and at the present time a formal agreement and funding arrangements is not in place. 

This report is submitted for consideration as a general exception under paragraph 15 of the Access to Information procedure Rules in Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution, notice having been given to the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee and the public.

To  approve expenditure of £560,000 as set out in paragraph 7 of this report and to enter into  the funding agreement between Southampton City Council and Hampshire Council for the Provision of a Coroners Service for 2020/21.

1.  It is a statutory requirement for the Southampton City Council to have a Coroners Service.

2.  Under the powers conferred by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (“the Act”), an Order (which is attached at Schedule 3 within the funding agreement) has been made by the Lord Chancellor to merge the coroner areas of Central Hampshire, North East Hampshire, Portsmouth and the South East, and Southampton and the New Forest to form one new coroner area (“the Merger”).

3.  For the purposes of the Act and the Merger, the parties have agreed that HCC shall be the ‘relevant authority’ (or lead authority) for the new coroner area and the Explanatory Memorandum associated with the Order made clear the parties’ intentions to continue to fund the Coroner Services in the new coroner area following the Merger. As a result, Portsmouth City Council (PCC) and Southampton City Council (SCC) have agreed to make financial contributions (“the Funding”) to Hampshire County Council (HCC) toward the cost of the Coroner Services in the new coroner area.

4.  This Agreement sets out the terms and conditions on which the Funding is to be paid to HCC by PCC and SCC and ensures that the Funding is used for the sole purposes of the Coroner Services.

No other option was considered as it is a statutory requirement to have a Coroners Service.