'Rec'd' may be 'recorded' ie the data was copied into another administrative document
The digitisation of records depends on funds and on server availability. Most archives services are run by local councils, who have on the one hand a rather strict and old-fashioned view to accessing data, and on the other hand relatively limited server space - especially when the amount of space that archives could fill is taken into account.
Then there's the question of who would do the task, either scanning or transcribing, and who would check the inputted data. This is largely done by volunteers, where it happens. In Darwen for example, the cemetery records have been steadily transcribed and digitised by a local society.
Lastly, archival training has an odd view - archivists are often pleased that they've made catalogues of holdings available online, but fail to appreciate that this engenders frustration among end-users who want to access the actual material.
A small number of archivists argue that making documents available online harms their trade by stopping people from visiting archives in person.
So it sounds like your cemeteries dept hasn't had any help from any quarters to enable digitisation. You could always start a volunteer scheme to help them.