Question reference: S6W-10666
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 31 August 2022
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding (a) has been provided since 2019 and (b) will be provided to local authorities in order to comply with the Burial Ground Memorial Safety Guidance for Scotland's Local Authorities it published in June 2019, in particular to support local authorities to follow the options set out under the "Methods of Making Safe" section, broken down by local authority.
Answer
Responsibility for the routine maintenance, upkeep and management of burial grounds in Scotland rests with the relevant burial authority. A burial authority may be a local authority or a private owner. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (as amended), owners must ensure any premises they are responsible for are maintained to a safe standard for both employees and visitors. The Burial ground memorial safety: local authority guidance was produced to assist local authorities meet their obligations to inspect and make safe memorials and headstones.
At this time the Scottish Government has no plans to provide financial support to local authorities for the maintenance of burial grounds.