The Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) and The Cremation Society of Great Britain (CSGB) created a not-for-profit Company, limited by guarantee, to deliver a national burden-sharing scheme, acceptable to DEFRA. The primary objective was to facilitate the reduction of mercury emissions by at least 50 per cent, and thereafter to continue to encourage the downward trend.

The company, Crematoria Abatement of Mercury Emissions Organisation (CAMEO) Ltd, was incorporated on 22nd October 2012. The company was formed with a Board of Directors and Members representing the two sponsoring organisations.

The Directors appointed HSKSG Greenhalgh Ltd (now part of the Dains Group), Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, to provide financial advice and prepare the annual accounts.

CAMEO undertook a Pilot Trading Programme in 2013 which established that there would be sufficient mercury-abated cremations to meet the expected demand from non-abated Crematoria. The Pilot Programme also identified four primary areas of difficulty: returns took longer than expected; the accuracy of returns was sometimes poor; payments took longer than hoped for to recover and the financial administration was more complex than anticipated. These four areas of difficulty have unfortunately continued, however building on the experience of the Pilot Scheme and its years of trading, CAMEO has continued to deliver a successful trading scheme.

In 2024, 253 (2023: 254) crematoria out of a total of a possible 338 (322) in the United Kingdom took part in the Scheme. The company received £525,926 (2023: £512,792) from cremation authorities contributing to the burden sharing scheme, of which £479,144.95 (203: £482,420) was then distributed and is committed to future distribution to Crematoria with tradable mercury abated cremations for sale (TMACS). The directors expect these numbers and amounts to reduce steadily over time as more abatement plants are installed.

In this its eleventh year of operation, CAMEO's trading has shown a small decrease in the value of a Tradable Mercury Abated Cremation (TMAC). This is the result of the reduced number of cremation authorities experiencing technical issues with the installed abatement equipment and a small increase in the number of abated cremations contributed to the burden sharing part of the scheme.

CAMEO is confident that it successfully delivered a fair and balanced programme and the Directors were pleased to issue certificates of compliance recognised by DEFRA, Local Authority Regulators and SEPA. The Board of Directors have commissioned the audit of the process of collating and calculating the trading of TMACs, in accordance with Section 7 of the scheme rules. The independent report of the audit will be published on the CAMEO website.

CAMEO supplies DEFRA with details of Crematoria who have traded within the CAMEO scheme and those who have chosen not to do so, or for which no information has been obtained.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.

We have audited the financial statements of Crematoria Abatement of Mercury Emissions Organisation Ltd (the 'company') for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the income and expenditure account, the statement of financial position and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 December 2024 and of its deficit for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

• the information given in the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the directors' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

• the directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemption in preparing the directors' report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

We considered the nature of the Company's business and its control environment. We also enquired of management about their identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework in which the Company operates and identified key laws and regulations that:

- Had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, which included the Companies Act 2006, tax legislation and payroll legislation; and

- Did not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which may be fundamental to the Company's ability to operate.

We discussed among the audit engagement team the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud and how / where fraud might occur in the financial statements.

In common with all audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. In addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, we tested the appropriateness of accounting adjustments and journal entries, assessed whether accounting estimates were reasonable and accurate and reviewed the accounting records for any significant and unusual transactions.

In addition, our procedures to respond to the risks identified included:

- Reviewing financial statement disclosures by testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions of relevant laws and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial statements;

- Performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected variances that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud;

- Enquiring of management about any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations and any instances of known or suspected fraud.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

These financial statements have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Crematoria Abatement of Mercury Emissions Organisation Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Cubo, Standard Court, Park Row, Nottingham, NG1 6GN.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Turnover represents income from participators of the burden sharing scheme. Turnover is recognised in accordance with the scheme rules which requires the trade of the burden sharing scheme to take place between January and March.

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

The company is limited by guarantee, not having a share capital and consequently the liability of members is limited, subject to an undertaking by each member to contribute to the net assets or liabilities of the company on winding up such amounts as may be required not exceeding £1.

The company is controlled by its members.