Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions since May 2010 a Rule 43 ruling has been used in coronial verdicts.

The Ministry of Justice had responsibility for reports made under rule 43 of the Coroners Rules 1984 (as amended) until 31 March 2013 when responsibility was transferred to the Chief Coroner. In coroner reform legislation implemented on 25 July 2013 Rule 43 reports were superseded by reports to prevent future deaths. As set out in the table below, a total of 1,952 reports made under rule 43 of the Coroners Rules 1984 (as amended) and reports to prevent future deaths were issued by coroners between 1 April 2010 and 25 July 2014.

A summary of reports made from 17 July 2008 (when the 1984 Rules were amended) to 31 March 2013 is available at: https://www.justice.gov.uk/coroners-burial-cremation/coroners/rule-43. A summary of reports made from 1 April to 30 September 2013 is available at http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/related-offices-and-bodies/office-chief-coroner/summary-of-reports-to-pfds/, which is the website where the Chief Coroner will in due course publish information on the number of reports issued since 30 September 2013.