HL Deb 26 April 1977 vol 382 cc392-3

7 Clause 4, page 3, line 22, leave out subsection (2) and insert—

'(2) The district registrar shall, in relation to each intended marriage in respect of which he has received a marriage notice or an approved certificate, and as soon as practicable after such receipt, make an entry giving the names of the parties to, and the proposed date of, that marriage in a list which he shall display in a conspicuous place at the registration office; and such entry shall remain so displayed until the said date has elapsed.

(3) Any person claiming that he may have reason to submit an objection to an intended marriage, or to the issue of a certificate under section 7 of this Act to a party to such marriage, may, free of charge and at any time when the registration office is open for public business, inspect any entry relating to the marriage in the marriage notice book.'

3.8 p.m.

Lord KIRKHILL

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 7. This Amendment arose from a point raised by the Association of Registrars, and which was indeed mentioned frequently by members of the Opposition in another place. It was requested by the Association that some means be found to prevent salesmen and other commercial interests from obtaining from the marriage notice book the names and addresses of those about to marry. The Amendment obliges registrars to put on public display a list of the names of couples intending marriage and the proposed dates of the marriages. The list will, however, not contain addresses—and will thus be of no value to the salesmen. The marriage notice book itself, with its more detailed information (including addresses), will be available only to a person who, having seen the list, believes that he may have reason to submit an objection to a particular marriage. He will be able to inspect the entry relating to that marriage. I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Kirkhill.)

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY

My Lords, again I think we may regard this as an improvement to the Bill. As the noble Lord has said it was raised by my honourable and right honourable colleagues in another place. The intention is to protect those who are about to be married from receiving masses of advertising material, or indeed callers on their doorsteps, who could be invading their privacy, because they wished to know the addresses as well as the names of persons who were about to be married, and trying to effect sales to those setting out upon matrimonial life. I think it will also help registrars. The problem was whether they would have more difficulties. I think the drafting the noble Lord has suggested does not make it more difficult for registrars, and I would commend this Amendment to the House.

On Question, Motion agreed to.