-
Case ref:201605830
-
Date:September 2017
-
Body:East Lothian Council
-
Sector:Local Government
-
Outcome:Some upheld, no recommendations
-
Subject:burial grounds/crematoria
Summary
Mr C complained that the council failed to protect his family lair (burial plot) in line with their responsibilities by approving the internment of the ashes of his brother-in-law without his knowledge or approval, and that the council failed to respond to his subsequent complaint in accordance with their responsibilities.
We were satisfied that the council acted in line with the Regulations for the Management of Burial Grounds in East Lothian, and we did not uphold this aspect of his complaint. However, we upheld Mr C's complaint about the council's response to his subsequent complaint, as we found that the council did not respond to Mr C's complaint within 20 working days and failed to keep him appropriately updated. The council told us they had since improved their complaints handling processes, and had carried out staff training, and they provided us with evidence of that.