The Government legislated in 2021 to bring pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal for firms to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the FCA, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

In the preceding public consultation in 2019, the Government stated it had not seen evidence that plans offered by local authorities required regulation from a conduct or prudential perspective. The Government therefore proposed that local authorities should be excluded from FCA regulation, and this position was maintained in the consultation response published in March 2020. The Government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.

Pre-paid funeral plans bought from local authorities fall outside the remit of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. Residents who are unhappy with the service they have received can raise a complaint directly with their local authority. Where a complaint remains unresolved, residents in England can submit a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Government legislated in 2021 to bring pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal for firms to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the FCA, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

In the preceding public consultation in 2019, the Government stated it had not seen evidence that plans offered by local authorities required regulation from a conduct or prudential perspective. The Government therefore proposed that local authorities should be excluded from FCA regulation, and this position was maintained in the consultation response published in March 2020. The Government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.

Pre-paid funeral plans bought from local authorities fall outside the remit of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. Residents who are unhappy with the service they have received can raise a complaint directly with their local authority. Where a complaint remains unresolved, residents in England can submit a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Government legislated in 2021 to bring pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal for firms to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the FCA, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

In the preceding public consultation in 2019, the Government stated it had not seen evidence that plans offered by local authorities required regulation from a conduct or prudential perspective. The Government therefore proposed that local authorities should be excluded from FCA regulation, and this position was maintained in the consultation response published in March 2020. The Government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.

Pre-paid funeral plans bought from local authorities fall outside the remit of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. Residents who are unhappy with the service they have received can raise a complaint directly with their local authority. Where a complaint remains unresolved, residents in England can submit a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Department for Business and Trade has engaged with the Department of Health and Social Care to consider consumer protection issues in the funeral sector, including in relation to the Fuller Inquiry’s recommendations. The Government will publish its response to the Fuller Inquiry in Summer 2026.

Q3

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Mark Sewards (Leeds South West and Morley) (Lab):

Two of my constituents, Cody and Liam Townend, and another mum from Leeds, Zoe Ward, all lost babies in different tragic circumstances, but they all went to the same funeral director, who did not treat their babies’ bodies with the dignity, care or respect that they deserved. I will not repeat the shocking details here—the BBC, for its part, published what it could last year—but more shocking still is the fact that the police found nothing actionable in either case, because there is no regulation of the funeral industry. The individual in question is still operating in Leeds today. Given that the Department of Health and Social Care is due to make a decision about changing the law in this area, possibly before the Prime Minister leaves office, will he speak to Ministers and officials in that Department to ensure that when they consider the question of whether to regulate the funeral industry, their answer is yes?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this case; he has been a committed campaigner on this issue. I have seen the details of that particular case, and he is right not to repeat them in this Chamber—they are horrifying. The lack of dignity and compassion is unacceptable, and I simply cannot imagine the pain that Cody, Liam and Zoe experienced and are still experiencing. The status quo here is not working for families, and people deserve to know that their loved ones are treated with dignity and compassion. We are going to consider this issue closely, and I thank him for raising it. I do want stronger standards and oversight. I think that is absolutely needed, particularly in the light of appalling cases like this.

Raising standards in the care and treatment of the deceased is a sensitive and complex issue, spanning a number of sectors. The Department is leading cross-Government work to consider the full range of options across all relevant settings, including the funeral sector. This includes consideration of minimum standards, potential regulatory arrangements, and funding models.

The Government has committed to publishing a response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those on improving standards for the care and treatment of the deceased.

Raising standards in the care and treatment of the deceased is a sensitive and complex issue, spanning a number of sectors. The Department is leading cross-Government work to consider the full range of options across all relevant settings, including the funeral sector. This includes consideration of minimum standards, potential regulatory arrangements, and funding models.

The Government has committed to publishing a response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those on improving standards for the care and treatment of the deceased.

Raising standards in the care and treatment of the deceased is a sensitive and complex issue, spanning a number of sectors. The Department is leading cross-Government work to consider the full range of options across all relevant settings, including the funeral sector. This includes consideration of minimum standards, potential regulatory arrangements, and funding models.

The Government has committed to publishing a response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those on improving standards for the care and treatment of the deceased.

The death management process, including the care of the deceased through to burial or cremation, engages the policy and/or operational responsibilities of a number of Departments and arm’s length bodies. This includes the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In addition, its delivery is reliant on a wide range of providers from within the public, private, faith and not-for-profit sectors.

This Department has worked closely within government and with the wider funeral sector in response to the horrific incident involving Legacy Independent Funeral Directors and other similar, equally disturbing, cases. In its Phase 2 report published in July 2025 (David Fuller inquiry: phase 2 report - GOV.UK), the Fuller Inquiry called for the Government to urgently introduce independent statutory regulation to safeguard the security and dignity of those who have died. Going forward, the Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Departments I have specifically mentioned above.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

The death management process, including the care of the deceased through to burial or cremation, engages the policy and/or operational responsibilities of a number of Departments and arm’s length bodies. This includes the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In addition, its delivery is reliant on a wide range of providers from within the public, private, faith and not-for-profit sectors.

This Department has worked closely within government and with the wider funeral sector in response to the horrific incident involving Legacy Independent Funeral Directors and other similar, equally disturbing, cases. In its Phase 2 report published in July 2025 (David Fuller inquiry: phase 2 report - GOV.UK), the Fuller Inquiry called for the Government to urgently introduce independent statutory regulation to safeguard the security and dignity of those who have died. Going forward, the Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Departments I have specifically mentioned above.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-Government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-Government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-Government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

The Department of Health and Social Care will lead on co-ordinating cross-Government work to raise standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Department of Health and Social Care will lead on co-ordinating cross‑government work to raise standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.