Statutory Instruments
1997 No. 1782 (S.132)

REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, MARRIAGES, ETC.
The Registration of Births, Still-Births and Deaths (Prescription of Errors) (Scotland) Regulations 1997

Made
17th July 1997

Coming into force
1st September 1997

The Registrar General, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 42(2), 54(1)(b) and 56 of the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965(1), and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, and with the approval of the Secretary of State, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Registration of Births, Still-Births and Deaths (Prescription of Errors) (Scotland) Regulations 1997 and shall come into force on 1st September 1997.

(2) In these Regulations–

“the Act” means the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965;

“error” includes an error of omission;

“heading” means the unnumbered part or space at the beginning of the form applicable to a register of births, still-births or deaths as set out in Schedules 1, 2 and 10 respectively of the Prescription of Forms Regulations;

“Prescription of Forms Regulations” means the Registration of Births, Still-Births, Deaths and Marriages (Prescription of Forms) (Scotland) Regulations 1965(2); and

“space No” means, in relation to the number specified, the part or space of that number in the form applicable to a register of births, still-births or deaths as set out in Schedules 1, 2 and 10 respectively of the Prescription of Forms Regulations.

Prescribed errors for the purposes of section 42(2) of the Act

2.  Any error in the particulars of an entry in a register of births, still-births or deaths which–

(a)falls within a part of the form applicable to the register in question specified in column 1 of the Schedule to these Regulations; and

(b)is of a description specified opposite thereto in column 2 of that Schedule,

is hereby prescribed for the purposes of section 42(2) of the Act as an error which, subject to the proviso thereto, may be corrected thereunder by the district registrar.

Revocation

3.  The Registration of Births, Still-Births and Deaths (Prescription of Errors) (Scotland) Regulations 1991(3) are hereby revoked.

James Meldrum
Registrar General
New Register House,
Edinburgh
15th July 1997

Approved by the Secretary of State

Henry B McLeish
Minister of State, Scottish Office
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
17th July 1997

Regulation 2
SCHEDULE

Colu2n 1
Column 2

1. Register of births

Heading
Error in any of the infor mation in the heading, but only where the correct information is compatible with the information in the previous entry in the regis ter and in any subsequent entry.

Space No 2
Error in the sex, but only where the correct sex is compatible with the name of the child.

Space No 3
(i) Error in the date of birth, but only where the date of birth remains within 3 months of the date of registration;

Space No 4
(ii) Error in the time of birth. Error in the place of birth, but only where the place of birth remains within the same registration district.

Space No 5
Error in the date or the place of the parents' marriage.

Space No 6
Error in the mother’s forename or surname, but only where the error relates to a part or the whole of either the forename or of the surname and not to the identity of the mother.

Space No 7
Error in the mother’s maiden surname.

Space No 8
Error in the mother’s usual residence, but only where the usual residence remains within the same registration district.

Space No 9
Error in the mother’s occupation.

Space No 10
Error in the father’s forename or surname, but only where the error relates to a part or the whole of either the forename or the surname and not to the identity of the father.

Space No 11
Error in the father’s occupation.

Space No 12
Error in the qualification of the informant.

Space No 13
Error in the date of registration, but only where the correct date is compatible with the date of registration of the previous entry in the register and of any subsequent entry.

2. Register of still-births

Heading
Error in any of the information in the heading, but only where the correct information is compatible with the information in the previous entry in the register and in any subsequent entry.

Space No 2
Error in the sex.

Space No 3
(i) Error in the date of birth, but only where the date of birth remains within 3 months of the date of registration;

(ii) Error in the time of birth.

Space No 4
Error in the place of birth, but only where the place of birth remains within the same registration district.

Space No 5
Error in the date or the place of the parents' marriage.

Space No 6
Error in the mother’s forename or surname, but only where the error relates to a part or the whole of either the forename or of the surname and not to the identity of the mother.

Space No 7
Error in the mother’s maiden surname.

Space No 8
Error in the mother’s usual residence, but only where the usual residence remains within the same registration district.

Space No 9
Error in the mother’s occupation.

Space No 10
Error in the father’s forename or surname but only where the error relates to a part or the whole of either the forename or of the surname and not to the identity of the father.

Space No 11
Error in the father’s occupation.

Space No 13
Error in the qualification of the informant.

Space No 14
Error in the date of registration, but only where the correct date is compatible with the date of registration of the previous entry in the register and of any subsequent entry.

Column 1
Column 2

3. Register of deaths

Heading
Error in any of the information in the heading, but only where the correct information is compatible with the information in the previous entry in the register and in any subsequent entry.

Space No 1
Error in the deceased’s forename or surname, but only where the error relates to a part or the whole of either the forename or surname and not to the identity of the deceased.

Space No 2
Error in the sex.

Space No 3
Error in the occupation of the deceased.

Space No 4
Error in the date of birth.

Space No 5
Error in the age.

Space No 7
(i) Error in the date of death, but only where the date of death remains within 3 months of the date of registration;

(ii) Error in the time of death.

Space No 8
Error in the place of death, but only where the place of death remains within the same registration district.

Space No 9
Error in the deceased’s usual residence, but only where the usual residence remains within the same registration district.

Space No 11
(i) Error in the forename or surname of a spouse of the deceased, but only where the error relates to a part or the whole of either the forename or of the surname and not to the identity of the spouse;

(ii) Error in a spouse’s occupation.

Space Nos 12 and 13
(i) Error in the father’s name or surname or in the mother’s forename, surname or maiden surname, but only where the error relates to a part or the whole of either the forename or of the surname or maiden surname and not to the identity of the parent;

(ii) Error in the occupation of the father or mother;

(iii) Erroneous omission of the term “(deceased)”;

(iv) Erroneous inclusion of the term “(deceased)”.

Space No 14
(i) Error in the qualification of the informant;

(ii) Error in the address of the informant.

Space No 15
Error in the date of registration, but only where the correct date is compatible with the date of registration of the previous entry in the register and of any subsequent entry.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations prescribe the errors which a district registrar may, in addition to clerical errors, correct in an entry in the register of births, still-births or deaths provided that–
(a)the error is noted before the entry is signed; or
(b)if it is noted after the entry is signed, it is corrected within seven days from the date of signing, in the presence of the informant.
The Regulations re-enact the Registration of Births, Still-Births and Deaths (Prescription of Errors) (Scotland) Regulations 1991 with amendments.
The amendments made are in consequence of the Registration of Births, Still-Births, Deaths and Marriages (Prescription of Forms) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1995 which made provision for female occupations to be inserted on the forms comprising the registers of births, still-births and deaths and made minor alterations to the style and layout of those forms.


(1)
1965 c. 49; section 56 contains a definition of “prescribed” relevant to the exercise of statutory powers under which these Regulations are made.

(2)
S.I. 1965/1839; the relevant amending instrument is S.I. 1995/3157.

(3)
S.I. 1991/1260.