Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to prepare an index for the Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths prior to 1922 for Oxford House, Chichester Street, Belfast.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe Northern Ireland General Register Office has a microfilmed index of births from which most pre-1922 births can be traced and a certificate issued. If for any reason a birth cannot be traced in this way an inquiry has to be addressed to the General Register Office in Dublin. The preparation of a complete index of births, deaths and marriages prior to 1922 would cost in the region of £50,000 and it is not considered that such expenditure would be justified.
Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is satisfied with the staffing arrangements and number of staff for the Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths in Oxford House, Chichester Street, Belfast.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesOwing to recruitment difficulties the Northern Ireland General Register Office, like many other departments, has been short of staff, with a resulting delay to the members of the public in the preparation of certificates, but I am pleased to say that the position has improved considerably in recent weeks.
Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange for copies of the local register of births, marriages and deaths to be kept 174W for a longer period than one year in the offices of each district council or other registrar's office in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesIt would not be economic to operate on a local basis the system under which registers are microfilmed and certificates issued from the microfilm copy.