§ MR. ASHBURYasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If he is aware that the Registrars of Births and Deaths in many provincial towns in England, but notably in Leeds and Liverpool, are charging more than one shilling for giving a certificate of the death of a member of a Friendly Society; and, if so, whether steps have been taken to limit the cost of such certificate in the future to the sum of one shilling, as provided by Clause 15, s. 9, of the Friendly Societies Act, 1875, especially as Clause 14, s. 2, of the said Act makes it imperative for such certificate to be produced.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER,in reply, said, he did not think that the hon. Member was strictly correct as to the effect of the Friendly Societies Act. As to the charges, where an application was presented in regular form, the Registrars could charge only 1s., but in many cases they were asked to fill up rather elaborate forms, and in such 72 cases, he believed, they charged a small additional fee. He had been in correspondence for some time with his right hon. Friend at the head of the Local Government Board and the Registrar General on the subject, and he should endeavour to come to some arrangement with regard to it.