The second half of the 20th century witnessed a dramatic increase not only in the preference for cremation but also in the building of new crematoria, mainly by local authorities. In 1952 just under 20 per cent of deaths were followed by cremation at the 63 crematoria in operation. At the close of the century the figure stood at 74.37 per cent at 242 crematoria. The shift was assisted by the Cremation Act 1952, which slightly simplified documentation along with the Roman Catholic church sanctioning cremation in 1963. As demand increased some crematoria responded by building a second chapel. By the 1980s, however, cremation ceremonies scheduled at 20-minute intervals were being labelled as ‘conveyor-belt’. This unsatisfactory situation gradually stimulated a reform movement that put the spotlight on all funerals. A decade of concerns over emissions from crematoria necessitated the installation of costly filtering equipment while the funeral directing sector responded with different types of coffins. The reappraisal of the content of funeral services led to crematoria increasing chapel times, while technological advancements prompted the installation of sophisticated music and visual systems. Reconsideration of funerary ritual also resulted in the decline of the scattering of ashes in crematoria Garden of Remembrance and new modes of disposition. Regrettably, by the 1990s the efficacy of cremation certification received a focus following the discovery of multiple murders by the doctor Harold Shipman.