The Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

• Citation: S.I. 2020/1093
• Sections: 3

Section 1 Citation and commencement

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Births, Deaths and Marriages (Records and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 9th November 2020.

Section 2 Amendments to the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships Records Regulations 2016

(1) The Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships Records Regulations 2016 are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 1(2) (interpretation)—

(a) after the definition of “expedited service” insert—

“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, and

if the search locates the entry, submit a request via that website to view a record of information contained in that entry in electronic format;

(b) omit the definition of “portable document format”.

(3) In regulation 2 (provision of the information contained in a birth record)—

(a) in the heading, for “portable document” substitute “electronic”;

(b) for paragraph (1) substitute—

(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.

(c) in paragraph (2)—

(i) after “(1)” insert “(a)”;

(ii) in subparagraph (a), for “public website known as www.gov.uk ” substitute “website for the General Register Office”;

(d) after paragraph (2) insert—

(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

(4) In regulation 3 (provision of the information in a death record) —

(a) in the heading, for “portable document” substitute “electronic”;

(b) for paragraph (1) substitute—

(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.

(c) in paragraph (2)—

(i) after “(1)” insert “(a)”;

(ii) in subparagraph (a), for “public website known as www.gov.uk ” substitute “website for the General Register Office”;

(d) after paragraph (2) insert—

(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.

(5) In regulation 4 (provision of the information in a marriage record)—

(a) in the heading, for “portable document” substitute “electronic”;

(b) for paragraph (1), substitute—

(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 the marriage register 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 the marriage register, a request made via the online view service.

(c) in paragraph (2)—

(i) after “(1)” insert “(a)”;

(ii) in subparagraph (a), for “public website known as www.gov.uk ” substitute “website for the General Register Office”;

(d) after paragraph (2), insert—

(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.

(6) In the heading for regulation 5 (provision of information in birth records to Government departments), for “in electronic format” substitute “to Government departments”.

Section 3 Amendments to the Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Fees) Regulations 2016

(1) The Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Fees) Regulations 2016 are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 2, after the definition of “the 1953 Act” insert—

“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, and

if the search locates the entry, submit a request via that website to view a record of information contained in that entry in electronic format;

(3) In Schedule 1 (fees payable), in the table—

(a) for row 15 substitute—

(b) in row 51—

(i) in column 2 (services or matters for which fee is payable)—

(aa) for “portable document” (in each place it appears) substitute “electronic”;

(bb) for “conversion of civil partnerships register” (in each place it appears) substitute “conversion register”;

(cc) after (a)(ii) insert—

(iii) a copy of a record, through the online view service, of the information contained in the Registrar General’s certified copies of entries in the birth register, the death register and the marriage register.

(ii) in column 3 (amount of fee), as a corresponding entry to (a)(iii) in column 2 (services or matters for which fee is payable), insert “£2.50”.

(iii) in column 4 (person to whom fee is payable), as a corresponding entry to (a)(iii) in column 2 (services or matters for which fee is payable), insert “The Registrar General”.