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Registration Service Act 1953

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Changes over time for: Cross Heading: Miscellaneous and general

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There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Registration Service Act 1953, Cross Heading: Miscellaneous and general. Help about Changes to Legislation

Miscellaneous and generalE+W

19 Annual abstract. E+W

The [F1Statistics Board] shall send to [F2the Minister for the Cabinet Office] annually, in such form as [F2the Minister for the Cabinet Office] may from time to time require, a general abstract of the number of live-births, still-births, deaths [F3, marriages and civil partnerships] registered in the year last preceding and [F2the Minister for the Cabinet Office] shall within one month after receipt thereof or of the meeting of Parliament lay that abstract before each House of Parliament.

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2S. 19: functions of the Secretary of State transferred (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/273, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 9(b)

[F419AFunctions relating to transmission of information to Secretary of StateE+W

(1)The functions of a registrar of births and deaths, a superintendent registrar and the Registrar General include the power to—

(a)transmit information contained in a declaration made under section 9(1) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 or entered in a register of births to the Secretary of State, and

(b)verify such information for the Secretary of State,

for the purposes of the service in subsection (2).

(2)That service is a service operated by the Secretary of State by which—

(a)individuals may transmit information about births to the Secretary of State, and

(b)that information may be transmitted to other persons by the Secretary of State.

(3)References in subsections (1) and (2) to the Secretary of State include persons providing services to the Secretary of State for the purpose of the service referred in subsection (2).

(4)This section does not authorise any disclosure which is unlawful—

(a)by virtue of any enactment, or

(b)by reason of the law relating to confidentiality or privacy.]

Textual Amendments

F4S. 19A inserted (8.5.2012) by Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5), ss. 135, 150(2)(h)

[F519AADisclosure of informationE+W

(1)A civil registration official may, subject to this section, disclose any information held in connection with any of the official's functions to—

(a)a specified public authority (see section 19AB), or

(b)any other civil registration official.

(2)A civil registration official may disclose information under this section only if the official is satisfied that the authority or civil registration official to whom it is disclosed (the “recipient”) requires the information to enable the recipient to exercise one or more of the recipient's functions.

(3)A disclosure under this section does not breach any obligation of confidence owed by the civil registration official making the disclosure.

(4)The power to disclose information under this section is subject to any express restriction on disclosure imposed by another enactment (ignoring any restriction which allows disclosure if authorised by an enactment).

(5)This section does not limit the circumstances in which information may be disclosed apart from this section.

(6)Civil registration official” means—

(a)the Registrar General;

(b)a superintendent registrar of births, deaths and marriages;

(c)a registrar of births and deaths;

(d)a registrar of marriages;

(e)each of the following in its capacity as a registration authority within the meaning of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (see section 28 of that Act)—

(i)a county council in England;

(ii)the council of any district in England comprised in an area for which there is no county council;

(iii)a London borough council;

(iv)the Common Council of the City of London;

(v)the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

(vi)a county council in Wales;

(vii)a county borough council in Wales.

Textual Amendments

F5Ss. 19AA-19AC inserted (31.7.2017 for specified purposes, 1.5.2018 in so far as not already in force except for the purposes of N.I.) by Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30), ss. 46(2), 119(4); S.I. 2017/765, reg, 2(o); S.I. 2018/382, reg. 3(k)

19ABSpecified public authoritiesE+W

(1)Each of the following public authorities is a “specified public authority” for the purposes of section 19AA—

(a)a Minister of the Crown;

(b)the Welsh Government;

(c)a department of the government of the United Kingdom;

(d)the Greater London Authority;

(e)a county council in England;

(f)a district council in England;

(g)a London borough council;

(h)the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority;

(i)the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

(j)a county council in Wales;

(k)a county borough council in Wales;

(l)an NHS body within the meaning of the National Health Service Act 2006 (see section 275 of that Act).

(2)The Minister may by regulations amend subsection (1) so as to add, modify or remove a reference to a public authority or description of public authority.

(3)Regulations under this section must be made by statutory instrument.

(4)Regulations under this section may—

(a)make different provision for different purposes;

(b)contain consequential, incidental, supplemental, transitional or transitory provision or savings.

(5)The provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (4)(b) includes provision amending, repealing or revoking any provision of any enactment.

(6)A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(7)In this section—

  • enactment” includes an enactment contained in subordinate legislation within the meaning of the Interpretation Act 1978;

  • public authority” means a person who exercises functions of a public nature.

Textual Amendments

F5Ss. 19AA-19AC inserted (31.7.2017 for specified purposes, 1.5.2018 in so far as not already in force except for the purposes of N.I.) by Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30), ss. 46(2), 119(4); S.I. 2017/765, reg, 2(o); S.I. 2018/382, reg. 3(k)

19ACCode of practiceE+W

(1)The Registrar General must issue a code of practice about the disclosure of information under section 19AA.

(2)The code of practice must be consistent with the code of practice [F6prepared under section 121 of the Data Protection Act 2018 (data-sharing code) and issued under section 125(4) of that Act] (as altered or replaced from time to time).

(3)A civil registration official must have regard to the code of practice in disclosing information under section 19AA.

(4)The Registrar General may from time to time revise and re-issue the code of practice.

(5)Before issuing or revising the code of practice the Registrar General must consult—

(a)the Minister,

(b)the Information Commissioner, and

(c)such other persons as the Registrar General thinks fit.

(6)The Registrar General may not issue the code of practice unless a draft of the code has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

(7)Before reissuing the code the Registrar General must lay a draft of the code as proposed to be reissued before Parliament.

(8)The Registrar General may not reissue the code if, within the 40-day period, either House of Parliament resolves not to approve it.

(9)In subsection (8) “the 40 day period” means—

(a)the period of 40 days beginning with the day on which the draft is laid before Parliament, or

(b)if the draft is not laid before each House on the same day, the period of 40 days beginning with the later of the days on which it is laid before Parliament.

(10)For the purposes of subsection (9) no account is to be taken of any period during which Parliament is dissolved or prorogued or during which both Houses are adjourned for more than four days.

(11)In disclosing information under section 19AA, a civil registration official must have regard to the following codes of practice issued by the Information Commissioner under [F7section 128 of the Data Protection Act 2018] , so far as they apply to the information in question—

(a)any code which makes provision about the identification and reduction of the risks to privacy of a proposal to disclose information;

(b)any code which makes provision about the information to be provided to data subjects (within the meaning of that Act) about the use to be made of information collected from them.

(12)The duty in subsection (11) does not affect any other requirement for the civil registration official to have regard to a code of practice in disclosing the information.]

Textual Amendments

F5Ss. 19AA-19AC inserted (31.7.2017 for specified purposes, 1.5.2018 in so far as not already in force except for the purposes of N.I.) by Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30), ss. 46(2), 119(4); S.I. 2017/765, reg, 2(o); S.I. 2018/382, reg. 3(k)

[F819BFees F9...E+W

(1)The Minister may by regulations provide for fees to be payable to the Registrar General in respect of the provision by the Registrar General to any persons of copies or other records of any information held by the Registrar General.

[F10(1A)The Minister may by regulations provide for fees to be payable to a civil registration official in respect of the disclosure by the official of information under section 19AA.]

(2)[F11Regulations under this section] may—

(a)specify the amount of any fee payable under the regulations, or

(b)set out how such a fee is to be determined.

(3)[F11Regulations under this section] may provide for the reduction, waiver or refund of part or all of a fee whether by conferring a discretion or otherwise.

(4)Regulations under this section must be made by statutory instrument.

(5)Regulations under this section may—

(a)make different provision for different cases;

(b)provide for exemptions from any of the provisions of the regulations;

(c)contain such consequential, incidental, supplemental and transitional provision as the Minister considers appropriate.

(6)A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.]

Textual Amendments

F9Words in s. 19B heading omitted (1.5.2018 except for the purposes of N.I.) by virtue of Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30), ss. 46(3)(c), 118(4)(6); S.I. 2018/382, reg. 3(k)

F10S. 19B(1A) inserted (1.5.2018 except for the purposes of N.I.) by Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30), ss. 46(3)(a), 118(4)(6); S.I. 2018/382, reg. 3(k)

F11Words in s. 19B(2)(3) substituted (1.5.2018 except for the purposes of N.I.) by Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30), ss. 46(3)(b), 118(4)(6); S.I. 2018/382, reg. 3(k)

20 Regulations.E+W

The Registrar General with the approval of the Minister may by statutory instrument make regulations—

(a)prescribing the duties of superintendent registrars, registrars of births and deaths and registrars of marriages in the execution of any enactment relating to their functions;

(b)prescribing the duties under the Registration Acts of [F12proper officers of non-metropolitan counties and metropolitan districts], and such other officers as may be appointed in pursuance of any local scheme;

(c)making provision as to the place and manner in which, the days on which and the hours during which any documents kept in the General Register Office and required to be available for search by the public are to be so available;

(d)prescribing anything which by this Act is required to be prescribed.

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C6S. 20: functions of the Secretary of State transferred (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/273, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 9(c)

21 Interpretation.E+W

(1)In this Act, the following expressions have the following meanings respectively—

  • [F13 civil registration official” has the meaning given by section 19AA;]

  • local scheme” means the scheme or schemes made under section fourteen of this Act for the time being in force for the [F14non-metropolitan county or metropolitan district] in question;

  • the Minister” means [F15the Secretary of State];

  • prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made under the last foregoing section;

  • the Registration Acts” means this Act, the M1Marriage Act 1949 and the M2Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953.

(2)In . . . F16 this Act . . . F16

(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17

(b)any reference to a [F18metropolitan district] or the council of a [F18metropolitan district] shall include a reference to the City of London or the Common Council thereof and to a [F19London borough] or the council thereof [F20and any reference to a non-metropolitan county includes a reference to a county borough].

(3)Except in so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any other enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any other enactment, including this Act.

Textual Amendments

F13Words in s. 21(1) inserted (1.5.2018 except for the purposes of N.I.) by Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30), ss. 46(4), 118(4)(6); S.I. 2018/382, reg. 3(k)

F19Words substituted by virtue of London Government Act 1963 (c. 33), s. 4(2)(a)

F20Words in s. 21 (2)(b) added (1.10.1995) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(6), Sch. 16 para. 12; S.I. 1995/2490, art. 5(1)(2)(3), Sch. 3

Marginal Citations

22 Savings.E+W

F21(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)Any instrument made under any enactment repealed by this Act prescribing anything which may be prescribed under this Act shall, if in force at the commencement of this Act, continue in force and have effect as if made under the corresponding provision of this Act.

(3)Any scheme made under section twenty-four of the Local Government Act 1929 or made in like manner by virtue of subsection (2) of section one hundred and thirty-one of that Act, being in either case a scheme in force immediately before the commencement of this Act, shall be deemed to have been prepared, submitted and approved in accordance with section fourteen of this Act.

(4)Any document referring to an enactment repealed by this Act shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as referring to the corresponding provision of this Act.

(5)Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section shall be taken as prejudicing the operation of sections 16(1) and 17(2)(a) of the Interpretation Act 1978 (which relate to the effect of repeals).

Textual Amendments

F21S. 22(1) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), Sch. 1 Pt. 17 Group 10

23 Repeals and consequential amendments. E+W

(1)The enactments specified in the First Schedule to this Act shall have effect subject to the amendments respectively specified in that Schedule.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C8The text of s. 23 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

24 Short title, extent and commencement.E+W

(1)This Act may be cited as the Registration Service Act 1953.

(2)This Act shall not extend to Scotland or to Northern Ireland.

(3)This Act shall come into force on the first day of October, nineteen hundred and fifty-three.

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