Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that funeral directors carry out the lawful burial or cremation of bodies following the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

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.