Recommendation P2-56: Unlicensed body stores follow same standards
From Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 Report, published 15 July 2025.
Recommendation
Where local authorities provide an unlicensed body store, they should do so in line with this Report's recommendations to local authority providers of licensed mortuaries.
In brief (written by this site)
In July 2026, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Preet Kaur Gill stated that the government was "working with local authorities to support closer alignment with Human Tissue Authority standards" on security, governance, and audit (Preet Kaur Gill, Jul 2026). The Department of Health and Social Care had previously accepted the recommendation in principle in December 2025, noting that further work was required to determine its full impact (Department of Health and Social Care response, Dec 2025). Prior to this, in July 2025, Human Tissue Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Colin Sullivan reported that the regulator had piloted an assessment model for unlicensed settings and stood ready to offer its expertise (Dr Colin Sullivan, Jul 2025).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The government has agreed to accept in principle 43 recommendations subject to further work to determine the full impact of these recommendations.
How this response relates to the recommendation
Site note: This is the Department of Health and Social Care's interim update on government progress in responding to the phase 2 report, published on 16 December 2025. It sorts the 75 recommendations into those the government has accepted in full (11), accepted in principle (43) and is still considering (21), and gives words of its own only on the 11 accepted in full. Every word is the Department's, so the rows are filed under it, including where the passage reports what another body has done.
Site note: The recommendation is addressed to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; the passage is the Department's account, not that body's. The update gives this sentence once, under its heading "Recommendations accepted in principle", and lists this recommendation there among the 43 it covers. It says nothing about this recommendation alone.
Delivery
Department of Health and Social Care says in progress (15 July 2026)
This includes working with local authorities to support closer alignment with Human Tissue Authority standards on security, governance and audit.
From: Government update on Progress in responding to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report, Preet Kaur Gill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety
Site note: Written ministerial statement HCWS261, made on 15 July 2026 by the Department of Health and Social Care. It gives no per-recommendation breakdown, and it says the Government "remains committed to providing a full response to Sir Jonathan Michael's report once the leadership period for Prime Minister has concluded". That full response had not been published when these rows were recorded.
Site note: The source does not name this recommendation by number. It is recorded here because it addresses local authority alignment with Human Tissue Authority standards, the subject of the recommendations to local authority mortuary and body store providers. The source gives this passage once, for several recommendations. The same words are recorded on recommendations 35 to 56.
What other bodies have found
In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.
Human Tissue Authority (15 July 2025)
We have set clear expectations on security measures including CCTV and access controls, and introduced unannounced inspections to strengthen our regulatory oversight. We piloted an assessment model for settings that are currently unlicensed, such as body stores and stand ready to offer our expertise in this area if needed.
From: HTA statement on the Fuller Independent Inquiry phase two report
Site note: The Human Tissue Authority's statement on the phase two report, 15 July 2025. The regulator describes its own measures and says it "will do all we can to support the implementation of those recommendations that are accepted by Ministers". It accepts nothing and rejects nothing.
Site note: The source does not name this recommendation by number. It is recorded here because it addresses the regulator's own expectations on CCTV and access control and its pilot assessment of unlicensed settings such as body stores. The source gives this passage once, for several recommendations. The same words are recorded on recommendations 7 and 55 to 56.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Department of Health and Social Care
Response, delivery statement - Human Tissue Authority
Finding