MP calls for funeral services licensing regulation and inspection power in Parliamentary debate

In a session of the House of Commons adjournment debate on 27 October 2025, the Member of Parliament for North Dorset, Simon Hoare, sought to make the case for statutory licensing and inspection powers in the funeral services sector.

Mr Hoare began by acknowledging that “the vast majority of funeral directors, crematoria and hospital morgues treat the deceased with the decency and respect that we would expect and hope for ourselves.”  However, he emphasised that despite this, there remain “rotten apples” within the sector — a point which he used to underline what he described as an existing regulatory vacuum. He observed that it “seems strange” that many other service-sectors such as tattoo parlours, nail bars, cafés and hairdressers are regulated while the funeral industry is “effectively left to its own devices.” 

Mr Hoare referenced previous work, including the interim and final reports of the Fuller Inquiry which examined failings in mortuary and funeral-related services. He noted that the funeral trade bodies — namely the Association of Green Funeral Directors, the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors and the National Association of Funeral Directors — representing between 75 % and 85 % of funeral operators, are themselves calling for a licensing or inspection regime. 

In his remarks, Mr Hoare also stressed the lack of statutory requirements: “we would not need a licence, and we would not be inspected; all we would have to do is put up a sign saying ‘Funeral Directors’ with the hours of operation on it.”  He argued that such minimal oversight is inadequate, pointing out the risk to public confidence and the potential for serious consequences if trust in the sector were to collapse.

Other members echoed these concerns. For example, Mark Sewards, speaking for constituencies affected by misconduct in funeral services, said that because “there is no regulation of the funeral industry”, even police investigations couldn’t secure accountability for “horrific things with their babies’ bodies” at a funeral director.

Meanwhile, Tessa Munt raised concern that people engaging funeral services in the most vulnerable state often do not ask critical questions, since “that detail is assumed”, and that visibility of where bodies are kept and what practices are in play should be part of any licensing regime.

Responding on behalf of the Government, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Zubir Ahmed, acknowledged the force of the arguments from across the House. He underscored that while the vast majority of funeral directors act with professionalism and integrity, “recently there have been a number of distressing incidents” which fall “far, far short of the standards that we, as a respectable society, can tolerate.”  He confirmed that the Government intends to provide an interim update before the end of the year and a full response by summer 2026.

The debate highlighted several areas the Government said it was considering: strengthening the role of the Human Tissue Authority, involving local government in inspection processes, and working across departmental boundaries (including the Financial Conduct Authority) to tackle issues such as mis-selling of funeral plans and exploitation of vulnerable groups. 

Mr Hoare concluded by urging the Government not to rely on “doing nothing and hoping for the best” and suggested that “the time for consultation and consideration has passed. The time is now for joined-up Government, energetic thinking and speedy delivery”.