The Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships Records Regulations 2016

Made: 13th October 2016

Laid before Parliament: 14th October 2016

Coming into force: 7th November 2016

In accordance with section 65A(5) of the Marriage Act 1949, before making these Regulations the Secretary of State has consulted the Registrar General.

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships Records Regulations 2016 and come into force on 7th November 2016.

• (2) In these Regulations—

• ...

• “online view service” means a service provided via the website for the General Register Office which allows a person to—search via that website for an entry in the Registrar General’s certified copies of entries, andif the search locates the entry, submit a request via that website to view a record of information contained in that entry in electronic format;

• ...

• ...

• ...

• ...

Provision of the information contained in a birth record in electronic format

2

• (1) The Registrar General may provide a record of information contained in an entry in the Registrar General’s certified copies of entries in the birth register, in electronic format, following—

• (a) a request for the Registrar General to search for the entry and provide the record of information, or

• (b) a request made via the online view service.

• (2) A request for the Registrar General to undertake a search and provide information under paragraph (1)(a) must be made via the website for the General Register Office.

• (2A) A record of information provided by the Registrar General in response to a request made via the online view service must be provided via the website for the General Register Office.

• (3) The Registrar General may charge a fee for each record provided under paragraph (1) ... and the fee charged is payable to the Registrar General.

Provision of the information contained in a death record in electronic format

3

• (1) The Registrar General may provide a record of information contained in an entry in the Registrar General’s certified copies of entries in the death register, in electronic format, following—

• (a) a request for the Registrar General to search for the entry and provide the record of information, or

• (b) a request made via the online view service.

• (2) A request for the Registrar General to undertake a search and provide information under paragraph (1) (a) must be made via the website for the General Register Office.

• (2A) A record of information provided by the Registrar General in response to a request made via the online view service must be provided via the website for the General Register Office.

• (3) The Registrar General may charge a fee for each record provided under paragraph (1) ... and the fee charged is payable to the Registrar General.

Provision of the information contained in a marriage record in electronic format

4

• (1) The Registrar General may provide a record of information contained in a marriage entry in the Registrar General’s certified copies of entries in any marriage register book, entries in the marriage register made under section 53D(10)(a) of the Marriage Act 1949 and conversion register, in electronic format, following—

• (a) a request for the Registrar General to search for the entry and provide the record of information, or

• (b) in the case of an entry in any marriage register book, a request made via the online view service.

• (2) A request for the Registrar General to undertake a search and provide information under paragraph (1) (a) must be made via the website for the General Register Office.

• (2A) A record of information provided by the Registrar General in response to a request made via the online view service must be provided via the website for the General Register Office.

• (3) The Registrar General may charge a fee for each record provided under paragraph (1) ... and the fee charged is payable to the Registrar General.

Provision of information contained in a birth record to Government departments

5

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Fees

6

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Signed

Robert Goodwill — Minister of State — Home Office — 13th October 2016

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations provide that the information contained in an entry in the Registrar General’s records of births, deaths and marriages (including where a civil partnership has been converted into a marriage) may be provided, upon request, to a person applying via the website www.gov.uk, in portable document format. They provide for the Registrar General to charge a fee for this service and for that fee to differ depending on whether the record is held in a digital or other format and whether the applicant requests a standard or expedited service.

These Regulations also provide for any of the information contained in an entry in the Registrar General’s records of births to be provided, upon request, to a Government department (including the Welsh Government but not including a Northern Ireland department or any part of the Scottish Administration) in electronic format.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument. The impact of regulations 2 to 4 and regulation 6 will be tested by way of pilot to inform an Impact Assessment produced after the pilot period. In relation to regulation 5, no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1953 (c. 20). Section 34A was inserted by section 98 of the Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20) and amended by section 89(1) and (2)(b) of, and paragraphs 21 and 28 of Part 2 of Schedule 15 to, the Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19); section 38A was inserted by section 89(1) and (2)(a) of and paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 15 to, the Immigration Act 2016; section 39A was inserted by section 56 of, and paragraphs 1 and 17 of Part 1 of Schedule 6 to, the Welfare Reform Act 2009 (c. 24), and sub-sections (1), (2) and (5) have been amended by section 89(1) and (2)(b) of, and paragraphs 21 and 30 of Part 2 of Schedule 15 to, the Immigration Act 2016 and sub-section (5) has also been amended by section 98(1) and (4) of the Deregulation Act 2015.

[^f00002]: 1949 (c. 76). Section 65A was inserted by section 99(1) of the Deregulation Act 2015 and has been amended by section 89(1) and (2)(b) of, and paragraphs 8 and 18 of Part 2 of Schedule 15 to, the Immigration Act 2016; section 71A was inserted by section 89(1) and (2)(a) of, and paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 15 to, the Immigration Act 2016. Section 74(3) was inserted by section 52 of, and paragraphs 1 and 15 of Part 1 of Schedule 4 to, the Immigration Act 2014 (c. 22).

[^f00003]: 2004 (c. 33). Section 34(1) was amended by articles 3(1) and 5 of, and paragraph 14(b) of Schedule 1 and paragraph 14(b) of Schedule 2 to, the Transfer of Functions (Registrations) Order 2008 (SI 2008/678), and section 89(1) of, and (2)(a) of and paragraphs 4(1) – (4) of Part 1 of Schedule 15 to, the Immigration Act 2016.

[^f00004]: 2013 (c. 30). Sub-section (5)(ba) of section 9 was inserted by section 99(1) and (3) of the Deregulation Act 2015 and sub-section (5C) was inserted by section 89(1) and (2)(a) of, and paragraph 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 15 to, the Immigration Act 2016.

Editorial notes

[^key-1bd1fba5db2d949198099278571e40a7]: Reg. 1 in force at 7.11.2016, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-094547d8d065a515aa596b3347d88238]: Reg. 2 in force at 7.11.2016, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-84db99d41f02624b41f6a11ca9827620]: Reg. 3 in force at 7.11.2016, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-4c3d998231afa7149b3ccb6a58942c0e]: Reg. 4 in force at 7.11.2016, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-17eec5ef4a9bb2394482c53436541ec5]: Words in reg. 2(3) omitted (16.2.2019) by virtue of The Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Fees) (Amendment) and Multilingual Standard Forms Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1268), regs. 1(2), 7(a)

[^key-3c385b688eb89312d69846fa6b28b197]: Words in reg. 3(3) omitted (16.2.2019) by virtue of The Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Fees) (Amendment) and Multilingual Standard Forms Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1268), regs. 1(2), 7(b)

[^key-b8f6d8b6419307c44bb202341ddb1e7d]: Words in reg. 4(3) omitted (16.2.2019) by virtue of The Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Fees) (Amendment) and Multilingual Standard Forms Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1268), regs. 1(2), 7(c)

[^key-cd28ee9fff083988e8f4f9f91d650ecd]: Reg. 6 omitted (16.2.2019) by virtue of The Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Fees) (Amendment) and Multilingual Standard Forms Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1268), regs. 1(2), 7(d)

[^key-015465ca9feb9da689542b12cfba8a6d]: Words in reg. 1(2) inserted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(2)(a)

[^key-94d1b350660f47fd04a3dc5f9b1d9c77]: Words in reg. 1(2) omitted (9.11.2020) by virtue of The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(2)(b)

[^key-96b2f5f5ba8bf1cd8376963002a180ce]: Word in reg. 2 heading substituted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(a)

[^key-9a7530ccd52fb2b4dd0e29fe7b711997]: Reg. 2(1) substituted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(b)

[^key-a189faed133586d12e251fbc35cd875a]: Word in reg. 2(2) inserted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(c)(i)

[^key-c3c46a6ad23181d6cded2692c9a261de]: Reg. 2(2A) inserted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(d)

[^key-e69cd2d5c906fdd9acfc66607f9f86a0]: Word in reg. 3 heading substituted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(4)(a)

[^key-e5d875de356a4e24f646e2e68eb09911]: Reg. 3(1) substituted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(4)(b)

[^key-b282cca431ab262286cf2f9bd893872a]: Word in reg. 3(2) inserted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(4)(c)(i)

[^key-498fd16216a04a2a1d45eefb834f03f3]: Reg. 3(2A) inserted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(4)(d)

[^key-6d21babd51092cab20b32902701d02c1]: Word in reg. 4 heading substituted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(5)(a)

[^key-9763055004f5a5143fb4928c53010715]: Reg. 4(1) substituted (9.11.2020) by The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1093), regs. 1(2), 2(5)(b)