SAIF welcomes the final report of the Fuller Inquiry and shares Sir Jonathan Michael’s concerns that abuse could happen again without stronger oversight of mortuary practices.  

The chair’s recommendations bring us closer to long-overdue regulation of the funeral profession, building on the work of the Competition and Markets Authority and Financial Conduct Authority in recent years. 

But as we navigate the next steps in this journey towards strengthened standards, it is critical that the inevitable new rulebooks governing all four jurisdictions of the United Kingdom are closely aligned. 

A piecemeal approach to regulation will lead to unnecessary complexity and detrimental consequences for both bereaved families and the dedicated funeral teams who support them.

As such, we would like to see clarification on how the report’s proposed statutory regime for care of the deceased would work with specific funeral sector regulation. We need a framework that is smart and streamlined rather than complicated and cumbersome.

It is also vital that regulation is proportionate, taking into account the wide range of business models across this diverse sector. 

Smaller family-run funeral directors have been rocked in recent years by the rise of online direct cremation providers, whose services are driving the commodification of death – and are not subject to any external oversight. 

In contrast, the multi-generational independent funeral companies that SAIF represents have been at the heart of their communities for decades and in some cases centuries. They have willingly invited scrutiny as part of trade association membership. 

These businesses are the gems of the profession and must not be further handicapped by costly regulation, which could force the closure of quality local employers, cause funeral price inflation and reduce consumer choice. 

With that in mind, SAIF has proposed a phased co-regulator model that will deliver a robust inspection and standards regime based on the established framework of the Scottish Government’s Funeral Director Code of Practice. And it will do this without loading excessive costs on to funeral service providers and by extension the families they serve.

SAIF will continue to work constructively with the Government with the aim of delivering a model of regulation that works for all and effectively meets the objectives of the Fuller Inquiry.