HL Deb 23 November 1949 vol 165 cc925-6

2.53 p.m.

LORD BROUGHSHANE

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands on the Order Paper in my name.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government in what circumstances and at whose initiative the words "Christian name" as opposed to "Surname" have been omitted from Government forms and replaced by the words "Forename" and "Surname"; and whether, in a Christian country such as Britain with an Established Church, there is any justification for abandoning the well-established custom of the names of individuals to be inserted on official forms being described as hitherto "Christian name" and "Surname."]

LORD CHORLEY

My Lords, I assume that the noble Lord has in mind the form used in the preparation of the Spring, 1950, Register of Electors, which has been the subject of comment on this point in the correspondence columns of some newspapers. As my right honourable friend the Home Secretary explained recently in another place, in the forms relating to the 1949 Register (as in those in use before the war) the expression used was "other names." Some people took this to mean the names of persons other than themselves. It was to remove this misunderstanding that "forenames" was substituted. The expression "Christian names" is not used because of its restricted connotation, since not all forenames are Christian names. My right honourable friend is, however, arranging that when the form is reprinted it will contain a reference to "Christian names or other forenames."

LORD BROUGHSHANE

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for the last sentence of his reply, I am still at a loss to understand why the old-established use of the words "Christian names," as distinguished from "surname," should not be maintained. Everybody knows what a person's Christian name is in this Christian country of ours. It does not mean that they are subscribers to any particular form of belief. It seems to me inappropriate that a public form which has to be signed by everyone who claims to vote and to elect Parliament should have the common phraseology of "Christian names," taken away.

LORD CHORLEY

My Lords, the noble Lord hardly seems to have appreciated that the reference to "Christian names" is to be restored.

LORD BROUGHSHANE

Then that is all right.