§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will take steps to require funeral directors to make their price lists readily available and, in particular, to supply them to those who come into immediate contact with bereaved people so that bereaved families have ready access to comparative information;
(2) what action he is taking about the recommendation of the Office of Fair Trading that there should be made generally available maximum information on what is or might be involved in arranging funerals;
(3) what action he is taking about the recommendation of the Office of Fair Trading that the National Association of Funeral Directors should indicate, within six months from the date of the report, the specific steps it proposes to take in order to achieve greater compliance with its code of practice;
(4) if he will take steps to require all funeral directors to publicise the availability of a simple basic funeral;
(5) what action he is taking about the recommendation of the Office of Fair Trading that the National Association of Funeral Directors should redefine the specifications of the basic simple funeral, and then publicise its availability;
(6) if he will take steps to require all funeral directors to provide accounts which specify individual charges for the main services provided;
(7) what action he is taking about the recommendation of the Office of Fair Trading that the code of practice of the National Association of Funeral Directors should require funeral accounts to specify the individual charges for the main services provided;
(8) what action he is taking about the recommendation of the Office of Fair Trading that funeral directors should provide doctors, hospitals, registrars and others who come into immediate contact with bereaved people with a supply of their price lists.
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§ Mr. ForthThe right hon. Member refers to recommendations made in the recent report by the Office of Fair Trading on funerals. The recommendations are addressed primarily to the industry and the director general will be discussing their implementation with the National Association of Funeral Directors.
I look forward to learning the outcome of these discussions in due course.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to what factors the Office of Fair Trading attributes its findings that people over 65 years arranging a funeral were offered a basic funeral less often than others, received less advice and were more likely to receive no price information at all, and that widows and widowers also received less advice and were less likely to be given written estimates.
§ Mr. ForthThis is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading. I will ask him to write to the right hon. Member.