Petition to open historic registers

[franh1946]

I can't find a previous thread on this particular petition; so forgive me if it's been discussed. I saw it on FreeREG and was surprised to note that there were only 9000 signatures. I was unable to sign but maybe someone here might be interested. Closes 25th March.

"We ask that historic birth marriage & death registers be open to public inspection at county record offices or the National Archives"

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62779

[Guy Etchells]

I can't find a previous thread on this particular petition; so forgive me if it's been discussed. I saw it on FreeREG and was surprised to note that there were only 9000 signatures. I was unable to sign but maybe someone here might be interested. Closes 25th March.

"We ask that historic birth marriage & death registers be open to public inspection at county record offices or the National Archives"

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62779

Thanks for mention the petition but more important than the petition is the campaign.
http://anguline.co.uk/ohrn.html

Everyone no matter where they live in the world can make a difference by emailing a member of the House of Lords (details on the website).

Currently Baroness Scott of Needham Market is attempting to have changes made. Letters and emails to her fellow Lords and indeed to members of the House of Commons will add weight to her attempt and will cause other Lords and members of the Commons to vote in favour of her amendments.
She moved an amendment to the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 in November last year and is currently in talks with interested parties regarding moving this forward.

Forum members in the UK in addition to writing or emailing to members of the House of Lords can also write or email to their Member of Parliament (no matter what party their MP belongs to). Please note due to the filtering system for emails in the House of Lords any identical messages sent to more than six Members of the House of Lords will be deleted.

There is a good chance of success as people in power are interested, we have to show them we the public support this attempt.

If enough of us do that the system will change
Cheers
Guy

[KGarrad]

This subject has indeed cropped up before!

See::
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=681871.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=708930.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=700405.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=686389.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=681413.

[franh1946]

Well, that it good to know! I searched "petition" and got lots of hits but nothing pertinent to this particular one. Should have narrowed (or broadened)my parameters. Thanks, Fran

[Guy Etchells]

Initial success Deregulation of BMD records passed in the Lords
www.rootschat.com/links/01ex2/
Scroll down to amendment 33a


There has been some movement towards gaining access to BMD records without having to purchase certificates.
The House of Lords passed an Deregulation Bill on the 05/02/2015 which will allow the Registrar General to provide copies on entries of BMDs without the need to purchase certificates.
The deregulation will also allow the records to be made available in a digital form rather than having to wait for paper copies to be posted out.

This is only the first stage in the process but is a very welcome first stage
Cheers
Guy

[Guy Etchells]

Update on the Deregulation Bill.

The House of Commons today agreed with the House of Lords amendments to allow cheaper and quicker access to BMD records.

Also mentioned in the Commons summing up of the amendments
Registers to be regarded as Historic
Births 100 years
Marriages 75 years
Deaths 50 years

This does not mean the bill has passed into law just yet, there are some other parts of the Bill that have yet to be agreed.
The good news is the proposals about changing the law on access to Birth, Marriage and Death records has been now agreed by both Houses of Parliament.

There is still some way to go however before we can obtain such records so the pressure must be kept up.

Cheers
Guy

[Guy Etchells]

The Deregulation Bill (the Bill that allows the GRO to supply non certified copies of entries in BMD registers) has passed through all stages of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and is now waiting for Royal Assent.
Royal Assent should be announced in Parliament, for this Bill, on Tuesday 25th of March, along with Royal Assent to all the other Bills passed by Parliament in this session that have not yet received Royal Assent, prior to Prorogation.

Therefore from midnight on the 25th March it will be legal for the GRO to supply non certified copies of entries in Birth, Marriage and Death registers.

How long will it actually take before the GRO start supplying such copies?

The fact that within a few days the above Bill will be law does not mean the GRO will supply non certified copies of entries of registers as required by the new legislation.
Presure must now turn from MPs and Lords to the Registrar General, Paul Pugh and the GRO.

The Campaign to Open Historic Registers has not ended because one battle has been won, we must carry on putting presure on those in authority until they comply with the new law and the intentions of the legislators 179 years ago who intended that the public have a right to receive copies of enters of registers.

It should be noted that when registration started in 1837 the public had a right to view the registers held at the GRO and this right was not withdrawn until 1898 the then Registrar General took it upon himself to close the records held at the GRO even though there was no change in the law to allow for such unilateral action.

This unilateral action has now been in part reversed by the Deregulation Bill which now allows the public to be supplied with non certified copies of the registers once again.

Cheers
Guy

[Old Bristolian]

Great news Guy, but is that next year? Today is Tueday 24th March

Steve

[Guy Etchells]

Great news Guy, but is that next year? Today is Tueday 24th March

Steve

No this year 2015.

Prorogation is part of the procedure that ends parliament before a General Election (which takes place this May). All the Bills which have been passed by both the Lords and the Commons and have not already been given Royal Assent receive Royal Assent on that day.
If there is no timescale set out in the legislation the legislation comes into force at midnight on the day it receives Royal Assent.
The Deregulation Bill does not specify when it becomes law therefore it becomes law at midnight on the 25th March.

This in effect means that from the opening of business on Thursday the 26th March 2015 the public have the right to apply for and receive non certified copies of entries of Births, Marriages and Deaths held by the GRO (note this does not apply to Local Registrar's or to Superintendent Registrar's offices only to the GRO).

Registrars General since at least the start of the 20th century have claimed to have been working towards such access and supply of non certified copies of entries.
I fear that such claims were only made to pacify those who questioned why they were not supplying such copies earlier.
They now (from midnight 25th March 2015) have no excuse not to supply non certified copies of entries in registers.
We will see just how prepared they are and just what their "working towards" has actually put in place.

So far they are answering request for information about such a service by -
"Can you email", or "Can you put your request into writing" and other similar time wasting tactics.

Cheers
Guy