Pure Cremation petition urges govt to regulate funeral industry

Pure Cremation has launched a petition calling on parliament to introduce statutory regulation for funeral directors in England and Wales.

The campaign follows several high-profile scandals, including the 2021 case of David Fuller, an NHS mortuary worker who abused 101 bodies. A public inquiry into his crimes called for urgent, independent oversight of the sector.

Pure Cremation cited a 2019 study by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that found some 69% of people believed funeral directors were already registered and licensed. However, there are currently no compulsory qualifications or routine inspections for the sector in England and Wales.

Scotland introduced statutory regulation on 1 March 2025, leaving England and Wales as the only nations in Great Britain without compulsory oversight.

The petition has already attracted 15,024 signatures towards its target of 18,000. It demands an independent regulator, annual unannounced inspections, and mandatory refrigeration facilities kept at 4–7°C. The proposals also include criminal record checks for staff, digital tracking records, and CCTV in mortuaries.

In a 2024 interim review into the sector, public inquiry chairman Sir Jonathan Michael called the industry “an unregulated free-for-all”, warning that poor practice could continue unchecked.