HC Deb 31 March 1995 vol 257 cc813-4W
Mr. Rooker

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the purpose of asking applicants for full and short birth certificates if they are the subject of the certificate or a relative of the subject. [17159]

Mr. Sackville

In their White Paper "Registration: proposals for change", Cm 939, the Government proposed new arrangements for the purchase of certificates of recent events and a different approach to the prevention of intrusions into privacy, personation and fraud. Statutory powers would be introduced to require applicants for certificates to identify themselves and complete a more comprehensive application form. They would also be required to state their relationship to the subject of the required certificate and the purpose for which the certificate was to be used. The application forms now in use by the Registrar General ask for this additional information, but applicants cannot, at present, be obliged to provide the answers.

Mr. Rooker

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how long application forms for full and short version birth certificates are kept after the certificates have been issued. [17161]

Mr. Sackville

The Registrar General currently retains application forms relating to the issue of birth certificates for a minimum of five years.