§ 6.51 p.m.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge) rose to move, That the draft Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, laid before the House on 20th May, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move that the Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, a draft of which was laid before this House on 20th May 1976 he approved. This order provides mainly for consolidation of Northern Ireland legislation relating to the registration of births and deaths. The existing legislation in Northern Ireland is contained in two statutory provisions; the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Northern Ireland) 1967, and the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1973.
§ The 1967 Act, revised the law relating to the registration of births and deaths, and for incidental matters such as the appointment of a Registrar-General and other registrars. The Act specified that the Registrar-General would furnish an annual report setting out the numbers of live-birth, still-births and deaths, and that the Department of Finance would continue 98 to maintain the General Register Office. The 1973 order catered mainly for changes in the system of registration following reorganisation of local government services in Northern Ireland. The district councils became local registration authorities and, as such, act as agents of the Department of Finance. In addition, the former local registrars were replaced by officers of the district councils. In passing, I should mention that the order before the House today does not deal with provisions in the 1973 order which relate to marriages.
§ As I have already said, the purpose of this order is to consolidate Northern Ireland legislation. However, the order also contains a number of minor amendments. For example, references to various enactments, cited throughout the order, have been brought up to date; there are also changes in terminology which take account of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973—for instance, " Ministry " becomes " Department " and " Minister " becomes " Head of the Department ". In addition, there are a few policy amendments which are not of major consequence as will be appreciated from the following examples. In Article 2(2) there is a slight amendment in the definition of the word " occupier ". In certain cases, the occupier of a public building, such as a hospital or welfare home, is required to act as the informant of a birth or death. The present definition of the word " occupier " includes a " Governor, matron, superintendent or other chief resident officer "; the proposal now is to omit the word " resident " as a chief officer may not necessarily reside on the premises.
§ In Article 12, the present law gives the registrar power to serve notice on a qualified informant requiring him to attend at his office and give information concerning a birth. The existing wording is now to be extended so as to include a foundling child; in future, the registrar for the district in which an infant is found abandoned will be empowered to require the person finding the child to give particulars to the registrar. The order was published as a proposal and circulated to district councils. In general, it drew little comment but various minor suggestions were fully considered and included where appropriate. I commend the order to the House. My Lords, I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the draft Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) 99 Order 1976, laid before the House on 20th May, be approved.—(Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.