'Appaling cases': Sir Keir Starmer comments on Leeds babies funeral director scandal
Cody and Liam Townend and Zoe Ward reported that bodies of their babies were kept at the house of funeral director Aime Upton, the founder of Florrie's Army.
The “appalling cases” involving the bodies of babies from Leeds being kept at a funeral director’s house in part convinced the Prime Minister that stronger standards and oversight are required.
Sir Keir Starmer made the comments after the cases were raised in Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday by Leeds South West and Morley MP Mark Sewards.
While a statutory code of conduct for funeral directors has been introduced in Scotland, the industry is unregulated in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Mr Sewards has been campaigning for greater regulation on behalf of his constituents, Cody and Liam Townend, and another Leeds resident Zoe Ward, after the bodies of their babies were kept at the house of funeral director Aime Upton, the founder of Florrie's Army.
West Yorkshire Police said they had investigated the business, but after “extensive inquiries” had not identified any possible crimes.
Ms Upton claimed the police “found no wrong doing and stated my work was excellent”.
Mr Sewards told the Commons that the parents “all lost babies in different tragic circumstances, but they all went to the same funeral director, who did not treat their babies’ bodies with the dignity, care or respect that they deserved”.
“But more shocking still, the police found nothing actionable in either case because there is no regulation of the funeral industry.
“Given that the Department of Health and Social Care is due to make a decision about changing the law in this area, possibly before he leaves office, will the Prime Minister speak with ministers and officials in that department to ensure that when they consider the question of whether to regulate the funeral industry, their answer is yes.”
Sir Keir responded: “Can I thank him for raising this case and thank him, he has been a committed campaigner on this.
“I have seen the details of the particular case, he’s right not to repeat them in this chamber. They are horrifying.
“The lack of dignity and compassion is unacceptable and I simply can’t imagine the pain that Cody, Liam and Zoe experienced and are still experiencing.
“The status quo here is not working for families and people deserve to know that their loved ones are treated with dignity and compassion.
“We are going to consider this closely, and I thank him for raising it. I do want stronger standards and oversight, I think that is absolutely needed, particularly in light of appalling cases like this.”
The Government is set to respond this month to the Fuller Inquiry, an independent investigation into care arrangements for people in death after necrophiliac killer David Fuller’s mortuary abuse of at least 100 dead women and girls.
Chairman Sir Jonathan Michael discovered it was an “unregulated free-for-all”, where anyone could set themselves up as a funeral director, work at home, and keep bodies in their garages if they wished.
Mr Sewards urged Sir Keir to act on the industry before he leaves office after Parliament goes into recess on 17 July.
In a statement to The Yorkshire Post, Ms Upton said: “The police found no wrong doing, stated that my work was excellent and advised me to carry on my spectacular work.
“Not just the average policeman but the CID. They didn’t just say that there’s no criminal offences committed because of no regulations."