Death

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on death. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs. Related information can be found under burial and cremation, coroners and registration of births, deaths and marriages.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
03.07.2013	Coroners' inquests
	The Coroners Act 1988 requires coroners to hold inquests where there is reasonable cause to suspect that the deceased died a violent or unnatural death, a sudden death of which the cause is unknown, or has died in prison. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who the deceased was, where and when the deceased died, and how the deceased came by his or her death.
20.06.2013	Inheritance Tax
	This note gives a brief summary of the structure of inheritance tax, before looking at the debates there have been about the tax in recent years.
13.06.2013	Inheritance Tax : reliefs
	This note provides a summary description of the structure of inheritance tax and the main reliefs which are available.
17.04.2013	Missing persons and the presumption of death
	A missing person may be reported to the police. In addition, a number of organisations offer assistance in searching for a missing person.
27.11.2012	Presumption of Death Bill: Committee stage report
	This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Presumption of Death Bill (the Bill). It complements Library standard note, Missing persons and the presumption of death (SN/HA/4890).

Research Papers

Date	Description
18.01.2011	Estates of Deceased Persons (Forfeiture Rule and Law of Succession) Bill
	The Estates of Deceased Persons (Forfeiture Rule and Law of Succession) Bill is a Private Member's Bill introduced by Greg Knight under the ballot procedure. The Ministry of Justice has indicated to Greg Knight that it will support the Bill and has assisted with drafting the Bill and the Explanatory Notes. The Bill would protect the inheritance rights of the descendants of people who have: • forfeited their inheritance by killing the deceased; or • decided not to accept their own inheritance. It would give general effect to the recommendations of the Law Commission in its 2005 report, The Forfeiture Rule and the Law of Succession, which were accepted by the Labour Government in 2006. Similar provisions to those contained in the Bill were included in the Draft Civil Law Reform Bill which the Labour Government published in December 2009. The Coalition Government is not proceeding with that draft Bill.
14.01.2009	Social Indicators
	This Research Paper summarises a wide range of social statistics. Subjects covered include crime and justice, defence, education, elections, health and population. This edition of Social Indicators includes an article from the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, Washington , D.C.. This edition includes: Social background of the United States Congress 2009 Local authority finance in a recession 2011 UK Census of Population Underage drinking Excess winter mortality
07.05.1999	Northern Ireland (Location of Victims Remains) Bill (Bill 92 1998/99)
	Northern Ireland (Location of Victims' Remains) Bill. (Bill 92 of 1998/99). House of Commons Library Research Paper 99/49.

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
13.10.2011	DEATHS FOLLOWING RESIDENTIAL HOME CLOSURES
	That this House notes with deep concern the worsening crisis for elderly care as growing numbers of local authority and private care homes face closure; acknowledges concerns that the ...
02.03.2011	DEATH OF SHAHBAZ BHATTI
	That this House condemns the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, the Pakistani Minister for Minorities, who was the only Christian in the cabinet; notes that this comes only days after ...
20.12.2010	LOSS OF MEDICAL RECORDS OF DECEASED PERSONS
	That this House notes that according to the Minister of Health, NHS organisations have a legal responsibility under the Data Protection Act to retain records safely and for a prescribed ...
16.09.2010	DEATHS AT GOSPORT HOSPITAL
	That this House notes with dismay the recent decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute any individual doctor, nurse or manager for unlawful killing at Gosport War Memorial ...
27.07.2010	INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF IAN TOMLINSON
	That this House notes the public interest and disquiet over the case of Ian Tomlinson and the threat to public trust and confidence in the police that this case poses; further notes ...