NAFD keeps up the pressure on key funeral issues
The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) continues to work closely with its various Parliamentary Groups to press for change on a number of issues which are of concern to the funeral sector. In a recent series of meetings, held in the UK and Brussels, the NAFD put issues such as Social Fund payments, retained ashes and vehicle excise duty on funeral vehicles under the spotlight.
At the meeting of the Cross Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement in the Scottish Parliament on November 18 NAFD chief executive officer Alan Slater thanked MSPs for their assistance in gaining an assurance from Anabela Gago, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Kovács, that there was no intention to remove the reduced rate of VAT on funerals in the European Union.
The Group examined a range of topics, including the implementation of measures contained in the Public Health etc (Scotland) Act; Social Fund payments; retained ashes; and vehicle excise duty on funeral vehicles, while members of the Group were also invited to attend a meeting of the Cross Party Group on Children on 15 January 2009 in the Scottish Parliament to discuss bereavement and young people.
Mr Slater and NAFD President Graham Lymn also met with Lord Foulkes MSP, a highly experienced member of the Scottish Parliament and a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group at Westminster. Lord Foulkes is especially keen to assist the funeral sector in resolving the problem of retained ashes and offered his continuing support to both Groups.
NAFD representatives also attended the end of year meeting of the Welsh Assembly’s Cross Party Group, at which the key points raised were the Social Fund in Wales, retained ashes and vehicle excise duty on funeral vehicles.
“This was an especially interesting gathering because we met Erika Helps, Manager of the Rhondda Taff branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), who highlighted the research that she and her CAB colleagues have undertaken on the Social Fund,” says Alan Slater.
“Significantly, the CAB’s research identified a number of concerns which we ourselves have raised on behalf of the profession, namely the inadequacy of the £700 allowance for other funeral expenses and the problems encountered by CAB clients in their dealings with Jobcentre Plus.”
In the first week of December the All Party Parliamentary Group for Funerals and Bereavement held its annual Christmas lunch. Hosted by the Group’s chairman, Bill Olner MP, and sponsored by The Bereavement Register, the lunch was attended by Kitty Ussher MP, the new Minister responsible for the Social Fund in the Department for Work and Pensions. Ms Ussher congratulated the Group on its achievements and stressed her willingness to work with the Group over the coming months.
On December 8 the NAFD led a delegation to Brussels to raise the profile of the Association and discuss two key issues – the repatriation of human remains across EU borders and the impact of the Biocides Directive on the use of formaldehyde for embalming.
Alan Slater, Nigel Lymn Rose, Christopher Henley, Adrian Haler and Birgit Baltzer attended a number of meetings in conjunction with leading Conservative MEP, Malcolm Harbour, who has been instrumental in helping the NAFD navigate the corridors of power in Brussels. Mr Harbour is highly supportive of the NAFD’s work to develop links and influence policy in Brussels and has pledged his continued assistance.
The NAFD representatives met several highly influential individuals including Frazer Clarke, Head of the ‘Citizen’s Europe’ PSE (Labour) secretariat and officials at the Welsh Assembly Government EU Office. Mr Clarke is in charge of the two groups of policy advisors that work on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; and Legal Affairs and is therefore able to lead and direct the work of the PSE group in respect of the repatriation of human remains. The Welsh Assembly Government EU Office is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales and works closely with the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union (UKRep). The NAFD’s meeting with Peredur John, who is responsible for Environment policy, and Steven McGregor, who is in charge of Economic Affairs, was very productive and the two officials identified a number of new avenues for the NAFD to explore.
During its meeting with Jean Lambert MEP, a Member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee and a leading Green MEP, the NAFD took the opportunity to raise its concerns over the operation of the Social Fund, repatriation and the Biocides Directive. Ms Lambert took a great deal of interest in these issues, as did Diana Wallis MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament and a member of the Committee on Legal Affairs, who offered to review the repatriation of human remains and examine the impact of the Biocides Directive.
“This last series of meetings in Brussels was very encouraging, especially our discussion with Diana Wallis MEP,” adds Alan Slater.
“The Legal Affairs committee co-operates with the Civil Liberties committee on issues such as the repatriation of human remains, so in her role as Vice-President of the European Parliament Ms Wallis can raise the issues which matter to us at the highest level.
“Overall we made important headway, raising our profile among key EU officials and leading the debate on the issues that are causing concern to the UK funeral profession.”
