§ Mr. Tilneyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number of microfilm frames made during the most recent convenient year at the General Register Office; if he will indicate the proportion of the register of births, marriages and deaths and of wills which are at present recorded on microfilm; and by what date he expects to complete such recording.
§ Mr. CrossmanIn the 12 months ended 18th July, 1969, 415,197 frames of 35mm. film and 27,652 frames of 16mm. film were produced for the indices to the registers of births, marriages and deaths and for a variety of general purposes.
The microfilming of the main series of registers of births, marriages and deaths was begun on 7th February, 1969, on a small scale and staff and equipment are being built up to reach their peak by September of this year. Up to the 18th July, 224,375 frames of 16mm. film had been produced, which is about one-267th of the total. The work is expected to be up to date by the end of 1973, when the total stock of film will amount to about 60 million frames containing well over 200 million individual records.
The General Register Office is not responsible for wills.