§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the fact that records of births, marriages and deaths are the only nationally held records not available to public inspection and scrutiny without payment of a fee for each individual certificate, he will make provisions for all such records to be inspected free of charge at the conclusion of 100 years of the entry being made.
§ Mr. MoyleThis would require legislation. A Private Member's Bill has recently been presented to Parliament which would permit the transfer of those records of births, marriages and deaths over 100 years old to the Public Records Office, where they would be available for inspection by the public. The Government will consider all the relevant financial implications.