It may therefore provide burial grounds and may contribute towards the cost of burial facilities provided by others (Para 1(c) of schedule 26 to the Local Government Act 1972); Cemeteries and crematoria: power to adopt byelaws made by a district or London borough council or the City of London (Para11(1) of schedule 26 to the Local Government Act 1972); Charities: a parish meeting has the same powers as a parish council to appoint trustees to parochial charities.
The audited accounts of all parochial charities (except those for the relief of poverty) must be sent to the chairman of the parish meeting who must lay them before the next meeting (s.79 (2) of the Charities Act 1993); Churchyards: liability to maintain a closed Church of England churchyard may be transferred to a parish meeting by the same process by which such liability is transferred to parish council (s.215 (2) of the Local Government Act 1972).
In relation to the last named, the meeting is also entitled to be consulted by the county council before the order is made (part III Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and schedule 15); Village greens: a parish meeting may prosecute a person who damages or encroaches upon a village green in the parish and thus commits an offence under section 12 of the Inclosure Act 1857 or section 29 of the Commons Act 1876 (39 & 40 Vict.
Generally speaking it is not a local authority and its powers are not as wide as those of a parish council.
[4] Section 39(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1972 provides that a parish meeting is a precepting authority.
[5] A parish meeting may only precept for expenditure relating to specific functions, powers and rights which have been conferred on it by legislation.