HM Inspector of Crematoria for Scotland: annual report 2015-2016

Meetings / Liaison with Stakeholders / Working Groups

Being a member of the National Committee on Infant Cremation provided an early opportunity for the Inspector to meet and liaise with fellow members from all major stakeholders.

Meetings were also held with a number of others not on the Committee, including Scottish Environmental Protection Agency ( SEPA), the Scottish Bereavement Benchmarking Group ( SBBG), Mortonhall Multi-Agency Working Group, Police Scotland, and liaison with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Funeral Furnishings Manufacturers Association ( FFMA).

Evidence was given to the Scottish Parliament's Local Government and Regeneration Committee, and the Health and Sport Committee during its deliberations on the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Bill. Following the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 being given Royal Assent on 28 April 2016, the Inspector has attended a number of meetings with the Scottish Government Burial and Cremation Legislation Team and the Cremation Regulations Working Groups.

He has attended as guest speaker, to speak about the role, at a number of events including the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management ( ICCM) Learning and Convention Exhibition 2015 near Scunthorpe, the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors ( SAIF) AGM in West Lothian, and the Caithness Edinburgh Association in Edinburgh. He was invited but was unable to attend the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities ( FBCA) Annual Conference in 2015. He is due to attend the forthcoming Scottish Working Group on Funeral Poverty to discuss his role and to hear their concerns about the costs attached to cremation in Scotland.