§ 39. Mr. Maxwellasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, owing to the absence of dates in the indexes to birth, death, and marriage certificates at Somerset House, persons wishing to know the date of a particular birth, death, or marriage are obliged to pay a fee of 1s. to inspect the index, and then a further fee to inspect the certificate; and whether he will take the necessary steps, by legislation or otherwise, to enable the public to obtain this one piece of information without the inconvenience and additional expense involved in the present practice?
§ Sir K. WoodThe index to which my hon. Friend refers enables members of the public to trace the entry in the register of which they wish to obtain a certified copy. The suggested addition to the index could not replace the certified copy which is the only authentic evidence of an entry in the register, and might give rise to unfortunate errors. I may add that, as my hon. Friend is probably aware, certified copies can be obtained for many specified purposes at reduced fees.
§ Mr. MaxwellIs it not rather unnecessary to make the public pay two fees to get one piece of information? Is it not true that Parliament could not really have intended that that should happen, and cannot my right hon. Friend take some means to obviate it?
§ Sir K. WoodI used to be very familiar with the practice in days gone by, and I think that what happens is that you pay a fee to see whether the birth, marriage or death is recorded, and when you have ascertained that it is at Somerset House you then pay a fee for a certified copy, which, of course, is available as evidence. If the suggestion were adopted that the date should be placed on the index, somebody might make a note of it and go away, and I can foresee a good many difficulties arising from some imperfect or incorrect statement of what, in fact, appears in the index. It is always convenient to have a certified copy of a matter of this kind.