I welcome the publication of the Final Phase 2 report of the Fuller Inquiry, which reaffirms the recommendations made in the interim report- most notably, the urgent call to establish an independent regulation for funeral directors in England. The Inquiry has now completed its work, and the message is clear: the time for action is now.
Following the interim report, the government stated it would wait for the final report before outlining its response. That report has now been published, and we cannot see delay in these recommendations being implemented.
In 2020 a report was published by the Competitions and Markets Authority which recommended inspections and registration to monitor funeral director services. The government at the time failed to act on those recommendations, and the tragic consequences of that inaction were laid bare in the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors case. This cannot be allowed to happen again. Inaction costs dignity, care and causes heartbreak for those impacted.
While the Fuller Inquiry was initially commissioned to investigate the appalling actions in the mortuaries at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, its findings have national relevance. The final report’s conclusions resonate deeply with communities in Hull and East Yorkshire, where the pain of recent events remains raw.
I have requested a meeting with the Minister to discuss the recommendations in this report. We must take these lessons to heart. I will continue to campaign for the implementation of regulation of the funeral sector. Our loved ones deserve nothing less than dignity, respect, and proper care in their final arrangements.