A local authority may cause to be buried or cremated the body of any deceased child who immediately before his death was in the care of the authority; but the authority shall not cause the body to be cremated where cremation is not in accordance with the practice of the child's religious persuasion.

Where a local authority exercise the power referred to in subsection (1) above, they may if at the time of his death the child had not attained the age of sixteen years recover from any parent of the child any expenses incurred by them under that subsection less any amount received by the authority by way of death grant in respect of that death under section 32 of the M1Social Security Act 1975.

Any sums recoverable by a local authority under subsection (2) above shall, without prejudice to any other method for the recovery thereof, be recoverable summarily as a civil debt

Nothing in this section shall affect any enactment regulating or authorising the burial, cremation or anatomical examination of the body of a deceased person.