Notification of Births Act 1907

1 Provisions for the earlier notification of births.

—The provisions of this section shall have effect in the area of any local authority in which this Act is adopted by that authority in accordance with the provisions of this Act—

(1) In the case of every child born in an area in which this Act is adopted it shall be the duty of the father of the child, if he is actually residing in the house where the birth takes place at the time of its occurrence, and of any person in attendance upon the mother at the time of, or within six hours after, the birth, to give notice in writing of the birth to the medical officer of health of the district in which the child is born, in manner provided by this section.

(2) Notice under this section shall be given by posting a prepaid letter or postcard addressed to the medical officer of health at his office or residence, giving the necessary information of the birth within thirty-six hours after the birth, or by delivering a written notice of the birth at the office or residence of the medical officer within the same time; and the local authority shall supply without charge addressed and stamped postcards containing the form of notice to any medical practitioner or midwife residing or practising in their area, who applies for the same.

(3) Any person who fails to give notice of a birth in accordance with this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding twenty shillings: Provided that a person shall not be liable to a penalty under this provision if he satisfies the court that he had reasonable grounds to believe that notice had been duly given by some other person.

(4) The notification required to be made under this Act shall be in addition to and not in substitution for the requirements of any Act relating to the registration of births; and any registrar of births and deaths whose sub-district or any part thereof is situate within any area in which this Act is adopted shall at all reasonable times have access to notices of births received by the medical officer of health under this Act, or to any book in which those notices may be recorded, for the purpose of obtaining information concerning births which may have occurred in his sub-district.

(5) This section shall apply to any child which has issued forth from its mother after the expiration of the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, whether alive or dead.

(6) Any expenses incurred by a local authority in the execution of this Act shall be paid as part of the expenses of that authority in the execution of the Acts relating to public health, and in the case of a rural district council shall be paid as general expenses.