§ Mrs. McKayasked the Minister of Health if he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to ease the position of the child born out of wedlock by making the shortened form of birth certificate obligatory for general use, except where more detailed information is needed, when the full certificate should be applied for from the Registrar-General, and by giving the illegitimate child rights to claim on both the mother's and the putative father's estate as a dependant within the meaning of the Inheritance (Family Provision) Act, 1938, or under the rules relating to intestacy.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe Answer to the first part of the Question is "No".
Amendment of the inheritance (Family Provision) Act, 1938 would be a matter for my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor: he is, I know, sympathetic to the suggestion made by my hon. Friend, which is in accordance with the recom- 172W mendation contained in the Report of the Russell Committee on the Law of Succession in relation to Illegitimate Persons.