Changes agreed in an SNP-Green budget in February mean new lairs (burial plots) for those who live in Glasgow cost £1,573 while non-residents are now charged £3,146. Previously, it cost £1,542 regardless of where you lived.
Internment fees have increased too, rising to £1,171 for residents and £2,342 for non-residents.
Labour’s budget proposals also included increased prices, but Cllr Hussain said these would have been a “lot less” than what has been introduced.
He warned the hike will “disproportionately affect the Muslim community due to a lack of burial locations and the need for expedient burial after death”.
His plea for a moratorium, while talks take place with faith groups, comes after Glasgow Central Mosque issued a statement last month, which said increased charges had been “imposed without any consultation or prior warning”.
A spokesperson for the city’s SNP group said: “Cllr Hussain maybe forgets he proposed these very same charges in his own Labour budget.
“Glasgow is stepping up to meet the needs of the diverse populations in neighbouring authorities but that comes at a cost to the city.”
Cllr Hussain has sent a letter to council leader Susan Aitken, SNP, and the local authority’s chief executive Susanne Millar, which stated the “shock” rise in charges was “rushed” with “little consultation or consideration of the impact on all communities”.
The Labour group leader also hopes to bring a motion to a meeting of the full council tomorrow (Thursday, April 14), calling for a review of the operation of burial rights in the city.
Under national legislation, lairs purchased in Scotland after March 1 this year come with a 25-year right of burial, rather than being granted in perpetuity. After 25 years, the right of burial can be renewed in 10-year extensions, at a cost of 20% of the current lair purchase price.
Cllr Hussain’s motion states the change was intended to “modernise burial administration and address long term capacity pressures”, but concerns have been raised.
He states these include “confusion about the expiry of burial rights, the cost and complexity of renewal or extension, and the distress caused to families where uncertainty exists about the long-term security of loved ones’ graves”.
He wants a review to “ensure that the system is fair, accessible and responsive to the needs of families and communities”. It would include engagement with faith organisations and community representatives.
The motion also asks the council leader to write to the Scottish Government and COSLA seeking a review of “the national framework governing the duration and extension of burial rights”.
His letter added he has received an “unprecedented number of phone calls, emails and personal representations from members of the Muslim community and others too”.
“We must ensure those communities that are disproportionately impacted including those from low income families have their voices heard,” he added.
The SNP-Green budget put forward the introduction of non-resident charging to raise £150,000. It also included plans to review the book of charges in bereavement services to increase income by £375,000.
Labour’s proposals had suggested raising £100,000 through non-resident charging, and £250,000 from changes to the book of charges.
A full list of charges can be found at: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/9549/Cemeteries-and-Cremations
We reported in April that Glasgow Central Mosque has condemned steep increases in burial fees and a new non‑resident surcharge, warning that the changes could almost double funeral costs for some Muslim families and were brought in without proper consultation.
The mosque says the shift to 25‑year lair leases with paid renewals, combined with higher lair and interment charges, will create serious financial and practical pressures at an already difficult time, and is now in talks with the council, politicians and neighbouring authorities to push for a fairer system.
A council spokesperson insists the new 25‑year burial rights are required under national law, that non‑resident surcharges are common across Scotland, and argues the move is needed to prioritise limited cemetery space for Glasgow residents, with faith groups having been notified and engaged in advance.
