BMD Certificate e-petition

[genjan1953]

Freckneale, perhaps you'd like to take a look at the early posts on this thread which set out exactly what family historians are asking for here from the GRO.  We just want the GRO to be able to issue uncertified copies of original BMDs.  Personally, I really don't need a nicely handwritten certified copy of these certificates which of course will command more time and money from the GRO.  Surely you can see that a copy of the original, especially a digital one, is going to take far less time and money to produce?  Not only that, if this were possible and the cost came down, the GRO would be quids in because the demand for such a service, in my opinion, would be so great.  Simple economics.   

The GRO, and indeed Register Offices, perhaps need to recognise the difference between the needs of family historians and those of the general public when it comes to requests for copy certificates.  It's not rocket science and it could benefit them in the long run.

Janet 

[Alexander.]

Freckneale, perhaps you'd like to take a look at the early posts on this thread which set out exactly what family historians are asking for here from the GRO.  We just want the GRO to be able to issue uncertified copies of original BMDs.  Personally, I really don't need a nicely handwritten certified copy of these certificates which of course will command more time and money from the GRO.  Surely you can see that a copy of the original, especially a digital one, is going to take far less time and money to produce?  Not only that, if this were possible and the cost came down, the GRO would be quids in because the demand for such a service, in my opinion, would be so great.  Simple economics.

I agree entirely - I never expressed any opinion to the contrary.

[genjan1953]

Freckneale I'm really sorry I addressed my comment to the wrong person!  Oops!  It was intended as a reply to Plummiegirl's comment :

So all of you who signed now want the UK Tax Payer to subsidise your hobby.

When the GRO produces any certificate it takes the same amount of time.  Last year they lost staff, and do you not think that reducing the costs for a 'certified certificate' would just result in more job losses in an area of already high unemployment.

The GRO is there to act as the main repository for the English & Welsh BMDs.  It is not there just to assist us in our hobby.  At present they are self financing, so a reduction in prodoucing 'hobby' certificates would mean that the poor old British Tax payer would be hit again. 

I have several hobbies, from Family History to Reading  and listening to music.  I certainly do not expect anyone else to subsidise my hobby.   But if anyone would like to subsidise my reading hobby by partly paying for my books I would be more than happy.

I think the argument you put forward here, Plummiegirl, does not make sense any at all.  All I can say is perhaps the GRO needs a good shake up and to get someone in who understands simple economics and has, at the very least, a little bit of forward vision.  No subsidies from the tax payer required!

Janet 

[msr]

I don't know about the GRO but I've seen a local office receive a request form, take payment, retrieve the register and hand over a freshly signed legal certificate in 10 minutes.

A good percentage of the people requesting certificates will, more than likely, be A taxpayer.

Not THE taxpayer, whoever he or she might be.

[Nick29]

I think there might be a slight difference between a local office and the GRO with regard to the number of records held.  Therefore the time to retrieve would be much shorter.

[Plummiegirl]

At the GRo the Records are kept in an archive, the books or films have to be ordered up and then they make the copy.

At a registrars, they go to the registration book, then from this they can get the correct copy from their books.  Unless they have all their records on computer (which some do) then they can pull up record from there and then go to their copy book and reprint.  A far quicker way, but then they will have only the records from their office.  Unlike the GRO who will have those from the entire country.

There was an article in one of the family history magazines about 1 year ago about the GRO and it really brought home just how big and busy they are.

I still think that £9.25 or is it £9.50 is cheap from the GRO.  This is a flat rate.  When ordering from registrars they are now charging more for the certificate and you have to pay P&P on top.

[msr]

I obviously made an error in my previous post where I said 'local office', leading perhaps to readers misunderstanding my meaning.

I should rather have indicated the County office where registers of BMDs are archived, admittedly in much fewer numbers that the GRO, but certainly not just a few books.

With a very good archiveing system, and a complement of staff who know what they are doing, certificates are issued in pretty quick time.

[davidft]

I don't know about the GRO but I've seen a local office receive a request form, take payment, retrieve the register and hand over a freshly signed legal certificate in 10 minutes.

A good percentage of the people requesting certificates will, more than likely, be A taxpayer.

Not THE taxpayer, whoever he or she might be.

Truth is sometimes local offices are good, quick and efficient and at other times they can't cope.

On the heir hunters programme every now and then you hear the researchers talk disparagingly about a register office because they are slow or worst still won't do an instant lookup but put you in the three day queue.

I remember a few years back i went to the Bishops Auckland Office to get two death certificates (of people who died in the 1940's). It took the best part of two hours. I have no complaint against the staff they were working very hard its just that they had more work than they could deal with

[Stuart273]

So effectively an English/Welsh version of scotlandspeople? I'm all for that