§ Ms LawrenceTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken following the Government's proposals in the consultation paper, "Supporting28W Families", to commission a review by the Registrar General of the legislation regarding civil registration in England and Wales. [63121]
§ Ms HewittI have asked the Registrar General for England and Wales to carry out a review of the civil registration service with the aim of producing a public consultation document next summer. The review will consider the existing operational framework and set out options for the future development of the service.
The registration of births, deaths and marriages is based largely on Victorian legislation and the needs of society at that time. This law places strict limitations on the type and extent of the service it can provide to the public. The inflexibility of the service was raised in the Government's consultation document "Supporting Families". Measures to enhance the powers of registrars were also proposed in the White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer—A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum".
The aim of the review and subsequent consultation will be to develop proposals for a service that can adapt to the changing needs and attitudes of a modern society and that can adopt modern methods and technology to meet those needs.