Birth Certificates (Hansard, 8 June 1999)

§ Mr. Nick Brown

A birth certificate, or similar documentary evidence, may be required for one or more of the following purposes:

(i) proof of identity;
(ii) proof of eligibility under the Civil Service Nationality Rules;
(iii) proof of age;
(iv) any legal requirements.

Agencies, other than the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) will reply direct.

Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Charles Kennedy, dated 8 June 1999As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) your question to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food requesting information on the purposes for which a birth certificate is required to be provided by (a) employees and contractors, and persons applying for employment and contract and (b) others has been passed to me for reply as regards this Executive Agency. 253W The main purpose in the MHS requiring sight of a birth certificate for directly employed staff is to verify identity and to confirm eligibility of the individual for employment under Civil Service nationality provisions. The MHS also makes extensive use of veterinary surgeons supplied on contract obtained following a national competitive tendering exercise. The MHS does not require sight of birth certificates for these individuals.

Letter from Sarah Nason to Mr. Charles Kennedy, dated 8 June 1999The Minister has asked me to respond, in respect of the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA), to your question about the purposes for which his Department and its agencies require a birth certificate to be provided by (a) employees and contractors, and persons applying for employment and contracts and (b) others. FRCA requests birth certificates during recruitment for identification purposes.

Letter from John Fitzgerald to Mr. Charles Kennedy, dated 8 June 1999In my Chief Executive's absence the Minister has asked me to reply on behalf of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) to your question about the purposes for which the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and its agencies require a birth certificate to be provided by their employees and contractors, persons applying for employment or contracts, and others. The only such time that the VMD would ask for birth certificates to be provided would be as part of a recruitment exercise. These would be used to confirm identify and age of candidates and to verify their eligibility for employment under the Civil Service nationality rules.