§ Mr. VINCENT KENNEDYasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state what sums are paid to registrars for recording deaths in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland respectively, distinguishing the scale charges in regard to the different status, etc., of the deceased in the countries stated?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIn England and Wales registrars of births and deaths receive no direct payment for registering a death, unless the death is registered by written request of the informant at his or her residence, in which case the fee payable to the registrar is 1s. If an ordinary certificate of the death is applied for at the time of registration a fee of 2s. 7d. is payable therefor. If a certificate is taken out under the Friendly Societies Act, a fee of 1s. only is payable. Registrars receive from the guardians each quarter the sum of 2s. 6d. for each of the first 20 entries, whether births or deaths, registered in each quarter, and for every other entry of birth or death 1s. In Scotland registrars of births, deaths, and marriages are remunerated either under the 50th or the 51st Section of the Registration Act, 17 and 18 Vict., c. 80. By the former the registrar is paid by the local authority (town council, parish council, or heritors, as the case may be) the sum of 2s. for each of the first 20 entries of birth, death, or marriage registered in each half-year, and 1s. for each entry thereafter; and he draws in addition the incidental fees of his office, namely, for extract certificates, marriage notices, etc. By the latter the local authority may, with the approval of the Registrar-General or the sheriff, place the registrar upon a fixed annual salary in lieu of the remuneration under Section 50. In Ireland 1s. is paid by the board of guardians out of the rates to the registrar for each death recorded by him (26 Vict., c. 11, sec. 54). No fee is payable to the registrar by the informant if the registry be effected within 12 months, but if the registration be delayed beyond that period the registrar is entitled to a fee of 5s. for recording the death, payable by the informant (43 and 44 Vict., c. 13, Sched. 2). I have no information as to1808W the total sums paid to registrars in any of the three countries; neither salaries nor fees are affected by the status in life of the parties concerned.