§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has regarding the average profitability of (a) firms in the funeral business and (b) comparable firms of similar size.
§ Mr. HowardNone.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if, in view of evidence of overcharging and lack of choice, he will refer the competitive position in the funeral industry to the Office of Fair Trading;
(2) if he will require all funeral directors to display their charges in the window of their premises.
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§ Mr. HowardI understand that the Office of Fair Trading is to carry out a review of consumer experience of the funeral industry including an assessment of the effectiveness of the code of practice of the National Association of Funeral Directors. This review is likely to begin later this year, but in the meantime, I understand that the office would be prepared to receive any relevant evidence of consumer problems in this area.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence he has of variations in prices for funerals, and of regional differences; and how many complaints have been received by his Department in the last five years.
§ Mr. HowardMy Department has received around 55 representations concerning funeral prices in the last five years. I understand that the price can vary according to the type of service requested but I have no evidence of regional differences.