EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend fees payable to the Registrar General and to district registrars under the Registration Services (Fees, etc.) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (“the 2006 Regulations”) and the Book of Scottish Connections Regulations 2008 (“the 2008 Regulations”).

Regulations 2 to 7 amend the 2006 Regulations. They increase the maximum length of an internet search session from 90 days to 1 year (regulation 3(b)). They amend regulation 4 of and Schedules 1 and 2 to the 2006 Regulations to increase the fees payable to the Registrar General and to district registrars for searches in statutory and parochial registers and for the issue of copies and extracts (regulations 3(a) and (c), 4, 6(2) and (3) and 7). They also increase the fee payable to the Registrar General for recording a change of name (regulation 6(4)).

The amendments to the fee structure remove the separate fee per block reservation of 10 places for a general search (£9 per place reserved) and set fees for new 2 hour general search sessions after 16:30 on weekdays and full day general search sessions at weekends and on public holidays (regulations 3(c) and 6(2)(i),(l) and (o)). They also set fees for a new express bulk particular search service (regulations 3(a) and 6(2)(j), (m) and (p)).

Regulation 5 amends regulation 7 of the 2006 Regulations. The amendment allows the Registrar General to remit fees for general searches made at the ScotlandsPeople Centre in certain circumstances.

Regulations 8 to 11 amend the 2008 Regulations. They increase the maximum length of an internet search session from 90 days to 1 year (regulation 9(a)). They amend Schedules 9 and 10 to the 2008 Regulations to increase the fees payable to the Registrar General and to district registrars for searches in the Book of Scottish Connections (regulations 10(2) and 11). They also amend the fee structure by removing the separate fee per block reservation of 10 places for a general search (£9 per place reserved) and by setting fees for new 2 hour general search sessions after 16:30 on weekdays and full day general search sessions at weekends and on public holidays (regulations 9(b) and 10(3) and (4)).