 Maen nhw ydw i nhw'n rhoi gydag i gyrfaith iawn o dwi'r gweith sydd o'r Cymru a Gŵrgol Gwmwylon Nhigien Yn 2024, ryddyn ni'n iad o ddefnyddio'r gyrfaith iawn i gwnlu gyrfaith iawn. Fe yw yma ar weithiau gweld o'r documenta'r Cymru yn gwybodol yn dodiodd y drosafosibol Cymru a Llyfrgell Gwrsfer. The purpose of the code is to set minimum standards for funeral director businesses in their care of the deceased and related procedures and behaviours. The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered this document at its meeting on 9 January 2024 and made no recommendations in relation to this document. We will have an evidence session with the Minister for Public Health and Women's Health and supporting officials on this document. Felly, oeddwn i'n gweithio'r ddysgu, rydyn ni'n teimlo i'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud. Felly, rydyn ni'n gweithio'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud. Elizabeth Sadler, directoraidd ffasilol o ddweud o ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud o'r ddweud. Joanne Tintall, pwyllfaen, Alexandra Wright, Beryl a'r team yng Nghymru, 50 i ysgol ff gammaenidr o'r Gwrthg Choose yng nghyrweddau, a pob baitio'r gwahanol felly Lатyn. Mae bob ein cynyddon i ddefnydd sy'n colladau i'r Gynnir yn gyfrydau am eich dyfodolillau awog ddweud iawn. Mae hwn cyhoedd понolifeinr, phy infringon a'r hanfer iechyd ac rydyn ni'n bydd ar doutefol ymarfer. Mae hwn ni'n gatheringu certh场 o'i rhoi ddwang 전fainll classmates 잔 â'r hops. I watering figures of over £4,000 for a funeral, which is, and each funeral company can actually set their own fees, so it will hopefully agree £4,500 is a lot of money, but also what's known as paupers funerals, so paupers funerals is something that could be regulated, and the costs do vary and can vary for each area, and I've got some figures that they can vary from over £1,000 to a figure in Edinburgh was £683. My data isn't recent. The data that I've managed to find was in 2015. There were 549 paupers funerals in Scotland costing the public purse half a million pounds, so my question, Minister, is that something that can be looked at? If it can't be incorporated into this, can it be looked at by you moving forward? I took part in a discussion and a number of debates about poverty and death, so it's something that is very much on my radar. I was very pleased to hear at the discussion that I was at the support that celebrants will provide people that may not be able to afford funerals. That's not specifically with regard to this piece of code, but yes, it is something that I am absolutely aware of when we look at regulation and also licensing and things like that. It's also important to point out that the Competition and Market Authority did a piece of work in 2021. As a result of that, funeral directors are now required to have online or available when they are talking to bereaved families the costs of how much a funeral will cost. They are also required to provide any information if costs have changed. It's also important to note that the Scottish Government has got a range of actions to support people in fuel poverty, although that doesn't specifically sit within my remit. I'm happy to write to you to give you that additional information. It's something that I am aware of, yes. Thank you, convener. I thank the minister for her answers there. I've had no indication that any other member wishes to ask questions, so we'll move to agenda item 2, which is the formal debate on the document on which we've just taken evidence. Minister, can I ask you to speak to and move motion S6M-1105? Can I check, convener? Do you want me to read my statement in there or just simply want me to move the motion? As we're moving to the debate on the motion, then to read your statement and to move the motion, please. Thank you for confirming that. I'm delighted to join you today to consider the draft Funeral Director Code of Practice, a significant milestone in the regulation of the funeral sector in Scotland. The draft code has been developed under the Burial Incremation Scotland Act 2016, which provides a modern, comprehensive legislative framework for burial information in Scotland. The death of a loved one will be, for many of us, one of the most difficult experiences we will face. The bereavement impacts on each of us in many ways. Funerals can fulfil a vital role in the grieving process, providing an opportunity to commemorate and celebrate life, but also to acknowledge the reality of loss. Funerals are organised at a time of extreme emotional vulnerability. If things go wrong with the arrangements, there can be lasting impacts. Funeral directors are entrusted to guide individuals and families through this challenging time. They directly prepare the deceased for viewing, burial or cremation, a trusted role with profound significance across cultures and faith systems. It is crucial, therefore, that when a person dies, funeral directors can be relied upon to deliver a highly compassionate, conscientious and professional service, which must maintain the dignity of the deceased and be respectful and sensitive to the bereaved. The draft code introduces minimum standards of care for the deceased and aims to establish and promote a common understanding of good practice. It will also be key to underpinning the statutory inspection of funeral directors in Scotland. It aims to safeguard against malpractice and help to promote continual improvement in the sector, contributing to greater public trust and confidence in the services that funeral directors provide. Specifically, the draft code covers engagement to the funeral director and transfer of the deceased, care of the deceased and the premises used by the funeral director, planning the funeral service according to the wishes of the deceased and the bereaved, delivery of the funeral, dealing with complaints, business continuity and management risk. The draft code has been developed in close collaboration with the funeral industry and other key stakeholders, drawing on their experience and expertise to ensure the intended outcomes of the code are proportionate, pragmatic and justified. The code has been available in draft form on the Scottish Government's website since 2019 and has been extensively consulted upon. In addition to a full public consultation, focused engagement sessions took place with small independent and rural funeral directors. Respondents were generally supportive of the draft code and its intentions. The feedback that we have gathered has been instrumental in refining the draft code. Scotland's two main funeral trade associations are clear in their support of it, which underscores the collaborative spirit and shared commitment to our common goals. Research has shown that the vast majority of people incorrectly assume that minimum standards exist and that funeral directors are already subject to regulation. Worldwide, countries such as Canada, Australia, France, Spain and many states in the USA, funeral directors are regulated and many require both a personal and business licence to operate. In the UK, some headway is being made in the consumer protection space by the competition and markets authority and the regulation of funeral prepayment plans by the financial conduct authority. However, standards lag behind in relation to care of the deceased, which occurs in private areas of funeral director businesses. Whilst many funeral director businesses are already operating to a high standard, some departure from good practice has been identified. The provisions of the 2016 act were largely based on the recommendations made by the Infant Cremation Commission, chaired by Lord Bonomy. That was convened in response to historical poor practice at a number of crematoriums across Scotland, details of which emerged in 2012. In addition, the national cremation investigation by Dame Elish Angioloni in 2016 found that overall regulation of the funeral profession required improvement. Her final report recommended that the Scottish Government should exercise its powers under the 2016 act to licence funeral directors and establish a statutory regime of regulation and inspection. More recently, an assessment of the industry has been strengthened by voluntary inspections undertaken by inspectors of burial, cremation and funeral directors and their investigations of complaints. The current lack of statutory regulation within the funeral sector poses a high level of risk. A minority of professionals can pose a threat due to poor practice, ill health or deliberate malevolence. I believe that the implementation of a code is a vital step to safeguard the dignity and safety of the deceased. In turn, the code should go a long way to instill greater confidence in the funeral sector for the public and bereaved families. The draft code is the first significant step in the implementation of statutory regulation of funeral directors in Scotland. The CMA has recommended that England, Wales and Northern Ireland establish this type of statutory oversight in their own funeral sector. I am proud that Scotland is leading the way on that in the UK. The draft funeral director code of practice seeks to establish a baseline set of professional standards and quality assurance for funeral directors in Scotland. It is not intended to be a burden on businesses. The Scottish Government believes that the standard set-out in the draft code not only protect the deceased and bring confidence to the public and the bereaved but will also benefit the funeral profession contributing to the overall reputation of the industry and acknowledging the unique and challenging role that funeral directors play. I hope that committee members agree that the draft code brings about positive changes to an important industry. With Parliament's support, I look forward to introducing the draft code in its final form to the industry. If approved by Parliament, funeral directors will be given a 12-month grace period to become fully compliant with the code's standards before the code would be formally issued by the Scottish Government and would come into force. I therefore move the motion and propose that the committee recommend that the draft of the funeral director code of practice be approved. I look forward to answering any further questions the committee may have. Do you wish to sum up any member wishes to make a further contribution? I'm content. I think that my opening statement covered what this code is intended to do. I'd like to thank the committee for your consideration. The question is that motion S6M-11905 be agreed to. Are we all agreed? Thank you, the committee is agreed. That concludes consideration of the document. Our meeting next week will be held fully and private to continue consideration of a draft stage 1 report on the National Care Service Scotland Bill. At our meeting on 6 February, we will be taking evidence from stakeholders as part of our post-legislative scrutiny of the Alcohol Minimum Pricing Scotland Act 2012. That concludes the public part of our meeting today.