The government has been urged to introduce a new rule for ALL funerals in a major shake-up. In England and Wales, funeral directors are currently not regulated.
Call for Regulation
Pure Cremation is asking the Labour Party government to urgently introduce regulation to ensure everyone receives a service they can believe in, and that terrible scandals at some independent funeral directors never happen again. The company states: "If you believe, like us, that funeral directors should be regulated, please add your name to the petition."
The petition calls on the UK Government and Parliament to introduce independent, statutory regulation of funeral directors in England and Wales, requiring high standards for dignity, security, and transparency, so every family receives the standard of care they already believe is in place.
Recent Scandals
A series of recent cases has highlighted the dangers of having no rules and no inspections. David Fuller, an NHS mortuary worker, abused at least 101 bodies over many years. The public inquiry has called for urgent, independent regulation.
At a Hull funeral home in 2023, police found 35 bodies and mismanaged ashes at a single premises. Sir Jonathan Michael's interim review described the current situation as "an unregulated free-for-all" and warned that poor practice may continue unchecked without change.
Last year, a funeral director was convicted of fraud that included keeping bodies in an unrefrigerated room for more than a month.
Public Misconception
Pure Cremation added: "Looking after someone who has died is one of the most important, most sensitive jobs there is. So it's natural to assume someone is keeping an eye on how it's done."
In a 2019 study, the Competition and Markets Authority found that 69% of people thought funeral directors had to be registered and licensed. In England and Wales, they do not. To set up as a funeral director, someone only needs to register a business. There are no compulsory qualifications, no routine inspections, and no national rules about how the deceased must be cared for. Trade bodies exist, but membership is voluntary, and they cannot force compliance.
