§ Mr. SandersTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what studies her Department has conducted into the costs of funeral services; and if she will publish them. [39464]
§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsThe Office of Fair Trading has made a report into Pre-paid Funerals which included a study into the costs of funeral services. This report was passed to the DTI and published in 1995.
§ Mr. SandersTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to protect consumers in respect of the costs of funeral services. [39463]
§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsI am pleased to inform the hon. Gentleman that funeral directors belonging to the Funeral Standards Council and the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) are affiliated to the Funeral Ombudsman Scheme, SAIF having joined earlier this month. As the hon. Gentleman may be aware, I have previously expressed my support for a single scheme and I welcome this development. Both the Funeral Ombudsman Scheme's code of practice, and that of the National Association of Funeral Directors (who operate a separate scheme for consumer redress) require members to make a basic funeral available with its price clearly indicated. Where funeral directors do not do this, consumers must report them to the Funeral Ombudsman Scheme or the National Association of Funeral Directors as applicable. I am concerned that there is not enough transparency in this and in other aspects of the funeral business and I have asked the industry to improve consumer protection.