The Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Regulations 1968

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

• “the Act” means the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953;

• “authorised person” has the same meaning as in the Marriage Act 1949;

• “birth” does not include a still-birth;

• “borough” means a county borough or a London borough, and includes the City of London;

• “certificate of cause of death” means a certificate required to be signed by a medical practitioner pursuant to section 22 of the Act;

• “clerk” means the clerk of a council;

• “coroner” includes a deputy coroner and an assistant deputy coroner;

• “council”, in relation to a district or sub-district, means the council of the county or borough in which the district or sub-district is situated and, in relation to an officer, means the council of the county or borough which contains the district or sub-district, as the case may be, within which he is authorised to act;

• “deputy officer” means a deputy superintendent registrar, a deputy registrar of births and deaths or a deputy registrar of marriages;

• “description”, in relation to a coroner, means his official designation and the area of his jurisdiction;

• “enactment” includes any instrument made under an Act;

• “entry” means a record of the particulars relating to a birth, still-birth, death or marriage completed by the registrar in the appropriate spaces in form 1, 4, 5, 9 or 23;

• “interim officer” means an interim superintendent registrar or an interim registrar of births and deaths;

• “local scheme”, in relation to an officer, means the scheme in force under section 13 of the Registration Service Act 1953 (which provides for local schemes of registration) in the county or borough which contains the district or the sub-district, as the case may be, within which he is authorised to act;

• “maiden surname”, in relation to a woman, means the surname under which she contracted her marriage (or, where she has married more than once, her first marriage;)

• “medical practitioner” means a registered medical practitioner; and in relation to a medical practitioner who has signed a certificate, “name and qualification” means his name as stated on the certificate and his registered professional qualification ;

• “midwife” means a certified midwife within the meaning of the Midwives Act 1951

• “name”, in relation to a person, includes a surname except in regulations 18, 25, 73 and 82, and in forms 1, 2 and 3;

• “non-salaried officer” means an officer to whom section 18 of the Registration Service Act 1953 (which relates to non-salaried officers) applies, an interim officer who, on the vacation by such an officer of his office, takes on his duties or an officer appointed under section 7 of the said Act (which provides for the appointment of additional registrars of marriage);

• “occupation” includes rank or profession;

• “officer” means a superintendent registrar, a registrar, a deputy officer or an interim officer ;

• “principal officer” means an officer other than a deputy officer;

• “registrar” means a registrar of births and deaths or a registrar of marriages;

• “registration office” means the office of superintendent registrar, registrar of births and deaths or registrar of marriages;

• “short certificate of birth” means a certificate of birth under section 33 of the Act (which provides for the issue of short certificates of birth);

All institutions maintained wholly or mainly from public funds or charitable endowments or subscriptions or any combination thereof shall be public institutions for the purposes of section 41 of the Act (which relates to interpretation).

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to any enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any subsequent enactment.

Any reference in these regulations to a numbered regulation or schedule shall, unless the reference is to a regulation of or a schedule to a specified enactment, be construed as a reference to the regulation or schedule bearing that number in these regulations.

Any reference in any regulation in these regulations to a numbered paragraph shall, unless the reference is to a paragraph of a specified regulation, be construed as a reference to the paragraph bearing that number in the first mentioned regulation.

Any reference to a numbered form shall be construed as a reference to the form bearing that number in Schedule 1; and any reference to a numbered space or column on a form shall be construed as a reference to the space or column bearing that number on that form.

The Interpretation Act 1889. shall apply to the interpretation of these regulations as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of Parliament and as if these regulations and the regulations hereby revoked were Acts of Parliament.

Subject as aforesaid, a deputy may, while his principal is performing any duties of his office, perform any of the duties of his principal which are not reserved to the principal under the local scheme.

As soon as a deputy has acted continuously as such for one month in the absence of the principal he shall make a report of the fact to the Registrar General, stating to the best of his ability the circumstances to which the principal's absence from duty is due and the date when the principal expects to resume his duties.

A superintendent registrar or a registrar may resign his office by giving to the clerk such notice in writing as may have been determined at the time of his appointment; and at the same time he shall inform the Registrar General accordingly.

When a deputy to a superintendent registrar or to a registrar ceases to hold office, the superintendent registrar or the registrar, as the case may be, shall inform the clerk and the Registrar General.

A superintendent registrar and a registrar of births and deaths shall cause to be exhibited and maintained outside his office and out-stations (if any) a notice stating his name, his official description, the name of his district or sub-district and the hours when his office and out-stations (if any) are open to the public.

A person who holds jointly the offices of registrar and deputy superintendent registrar shall not perform any of the duties of the superintendent registrar in relation to any duties which he performs as registrar.

An officer shall not, while discharging his official duties with any person attending upon him at his office or otherwise coming into communication with him in his official capacity, transact or attempt to transact or to further the transaction of any business of a private nature, either on his own behalf or on behalf of any other person or body.

An officer shall not, without the express authority of the Registrar General, publish or communicate to any person, otherwise than in the ordinary course of the performance of his official duties, any information acquired by him while performing those duties.

An officer shall comply with any instruction or direction, whether particular or general, given to him by the Registrar General in any matter relating to the due performance by the officer of his duties in the execution of any enactment relating to his functions (not being a matter for which specific provision is made).

Where a birth, still-birth or death is re-registered on the authority of the Registrar General, the registrar making the new entry and the registrar or superintendent registrar having custody of the register in which the original entry was made shall make such notes (if any) in the margin of the respective entries as the Registrar General may direct.

On receiving from an informant, at any time within 3 months after the date of a birth which occurred in his sub-district, information of the particulars required by regulation 16, the registrar shall register the birth in the presence of the informant by inserting in form 1 the particulars required in spaces 1 to 13 subject to the provisions of this regulation.

With respect to space 2 (Name and surname) the surname to be entered shall be the surname by which at the date of the registration of the birth it is intended that the child shall be known and, if a name is not given, the registrar shall enter the surname preceded by a horizontal line.

The registrar shall call upon the informant to sign the entry in space 14.

If, in pursuance of section 10 of the Act, an entry has been made of the name of the person acknowledging himself to be the father, the registrar shall call first upon that person and then upon the mother to sign the entry.

Where a registrar or a superintendent registrar is informed that a birth which occurred more than 12 months previously has not been registered, he shall make a report to the Registrar General stating to the best of his knowledge and belief the particulars required to be registered concerning the birth, the source of his information and the name and address of any qualified informant available to give information for the registration.

On registering the birth pursuant to this regulation the registrar shall enter immediately after the date of registration the words “On the authority of the Registrar General”.

A registrar or a superintendent registrar before whom such a declaration is to be made shall ascertain from the informant the particulars to be registered concerning the birth, enter them in such declaration, using for the purpose a form provided by the Registrar General, read or show the form to the informant and, after correcting any error, require the informant to sign the declaration.

Any such declaration shall be attested by the officer in whose presence it was signed.

If it appears to the registrar of the sub-district in which the birth occurred that the particulars contained in any such declaration, as duly sent to him, are in any material respect not proper to be registered, he shall return the declaration to the officer before whom it was attested together with a note of the matters in which it appears to need amendment, and that officer shall in the presence of the declarant amend any error by striking out any incorrect particulars and inserting the correct particulars.

Any amendment so made shall be initialled by the declarant, and the declaration shall be returned to the registrar of the sub-district in which the birth occurred.

If more than 3 but less than 12 months have elapsed since the date of the birth of the child, the registrar shall make the entry in the presence of the superintendent registrar in whose district the birth occurred, and the superintendent registrar and registrar shall sign the entry, adding their official descriptions.

If more than 12 months have elapsed since the date of the birth of the child, the registrar shall not make the entry until he has received the written authority of the Registrar General to register the birth; and below the date of registration in space 15 the registrar shall enter the words “On the authority of the Registrar General”, and the superintendent registrar and registrar shall sign the entry, adding their official descriptions.

An entry in pursuance of section 13 of the Act (which relates to registering or altering the name of a child) shall be made in space 17 of the entry of birth by the registrar or superintendent registrar having custody of the register in which the birth is registered.

The registrar of the sub-district in which such a birth occurred shall read or show to the parent the particulars entered in the Registrar General's authority, and if it appears that there is any error or omission therein shall correct it in such manner as the Registrar General may direct.

The registrar shall in the presence of the parent copy the particulars recorded in the spaces of the authority into the corresponding spaces of the entry so, however, that where any particular has been corrected in pursuance of paragraph (1) he shall enter only the particular as corrected, omitting any incorrect particular which has been struck out.

The registrar shall enter in the register the qualification of the informant as “father” or “mother”, as the case may be, and call upon the parent to verify the particulars as entered and to sign the entry.

The registrar shall enter the date on which the entry is made and add the words “On the authority of the Registrar General”.

When the registrar has signed the entry in space 16 he shall add his official description.

A parent who is in England or Wales may with the consent of the Registrar General verify the particulars required to be registered on the re-registration of the birth of a legitimated person by making and signing before a registrar other than the registrar for the sub-district in which the birth occurred a declaration of the particulars, on a form provided for the purpose by the Registrar General; and any such declaration shall be attested by the registrar before whom it was made and sent by him to the registrar for the sub-district in which the birth occurred.

A parent who is not in England or Wales may with the consent of the Registrar General verify the particulars required to be registered as aforesaid by making and signing before an authority specified in paragraph (3), (4) or (5), as the case may be, and sending to the Registrar General, a declaration of the particulars on a form provided for the purpose by the Registrar General.

In the case of a parent who is in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands or any other country of the Commonwealth or in the Irish Republic, the authorities before whom a declaration may be made are a notary public and any other person lawfully authorised to administer oaths in that country or place.

In the case of a parent who is not in England or Wales or in any country or place mentioned in paragraph (3), the authorities before whom a declaration may be made are one of Her Majesty's consular officers, a notary public and any other person lawfully authorised to administer oaths in that country or place; but a declaration made before an authority other than one of Her Majesty's consular officers shall be authenticated by such an officer, if the Registrar General so requires.

In the case of a parent who is a member of Her Majesty's Forces and who is not in the United Kingdom, the authorities before whom a declaration may be made shall include any officer who holds a rank not below that of Lieutenant-Commander, Major, or Squadron-Leader.

On receiving the Registrar General's authority and consent to re-register a birth under regulation 29 and the declaration made for the purposes thereof, the registrar for the sub-district in which the birth occurred shall copy the particulars recorded in the spaces of the declaration into the corresponding spaces of the entry and shall enter the qualification of the informant as “father” or “mother”, as the case may be; and he shall enter in space 14 the words “by declaration dated …” and the date on which the declaration was made and signed.

After entering such particulars the registrar shall complete the entry in the manner provided in regulation 28(4) and (5).

Subject to the provisions of regulation 42, the provisions of regulations 17 to 21 shall, with any necessary modifications, apply to completing form 5 as they apply to completing form 1; but an informant shall not be required to verify space 2 on form 5.

Where the still-birth is registered on the production of a written certificate of a medical practitioner or a midwife, the registrar shall enter in space 2 the cause of death precisely as stated therein, followed by the words “Certified by …” and the name and qualification of the medical practitioner or, as the case may be, the name of the midwife and the words “Certified Midwife”.

Where the still-birth is registered on the production of a declaration as referred to in section 11(1)(b) of the Act, the registrar shall enter in space 2 the words “Declaration by informant”.

Where, before the expiration of 3 months from the date of still-birth which has not already been registered, a registrar receives from a coroner a notification that he does not intend to hold an inquest thereon, the registrar shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (2), take such steps as may be required to register the still-birth in accordance with regulations 41 and 42.

Where the coroner certifies in his notification that an examination made by his direction has disclosed that the child was still-born or that there was not sufficient evidence to show that the child was born alive, and delivers to the registrar a certificate showing the result of that examination, the registrar shall enter in space 2 the cause of death precisely as stated therein, followed by the words “Certified by …” and the name and qualification of the medical practitioner who made the examination, and the words “after post-mortem held by direction …” and the name and description of the coroner.

The form of a certificate of a registrar under section 11(2) of the Act (which relates to preliminaries to disposal of bodies) that he has registered a still-birth shall be form 8.

The particulars concerning a death required to be registered pursuant to section 15 of the Act (which requires prescribed particulars of deaths to be registered) shall, subject to the provisions of this Part of these regulations, be the particulars required in spaces 1 to 8 in form 9; and form 9 shall be the prescribed form for the purposes of section 20 of the Act (which provides for registration of death free of charge).

The form of a certificate of cause of death shall be form 10.

The form of notice required by section 22(2) of the Act to be given by a medical practitioner to a qualified informant shall be form 11.

In the case of any death which occurred in the registrar's sub-district with respect to which a certificate of cause of death has been delivered to the registrar and which has not been and is not required to be reported to the coroner the registrar shall, on receiving from an informant, at any time within 12 months of the date of the death, information of the particulars required by regulation 48(1), register the death in the presence of the informant by completing spaces 1 to 8 in form 9.

Where a child lived for less than 24 hours, the registrar shall enter after the date of the child's death the word “Aged …” and the age in completed hours or, if less than one hour, in minutes.

Where the death relates to a dead body in relation to which the date and place of death are unknown, the registrar shall enter in space 1 the words “Dead body found on …” and the date of finding the body, followed by “at …” and the place of finding.

Where the deceased was a child under the age of 15, the registrar shall enter in space 6 the words “son (or daughter) of …” and the name and occupation of the father or, if the name and occupation of the father is not given, the words “son (or daughter) of …” and the name and occupation of the mother.

The registrar shall enter in space 8 the cause of death precisely as certified in the medical certificate, followed by the words “Certified by …” and the name and qualification of the medical practitioner who gave the medical certificate.

After completing spaces 1 to 8 in the entry, the registrar shall call upon the informant to verify the particulars entered in spaces 1 to 7; and if it appears that any error has been made in those particulars, the registrar shall thereupon in the presence of the informant make the necessary correction in the manner provided in regulation 72.

The registrar shall then call upon the informant to sign the entry in space 9; and when the registrar has signed the entry in space 11 he shall add his official description.

Where the registrar has reason to believe, with respect to any death of which he is informed or in respect of which a certificate of cause of death has been delivered to him, that the circumstances of the death were such that it is the duty of some person or authority other than himself to report the death to the coroner, he shall satisfy himself that it has been reported.

The registrar shall not register any death which he has himself reported to the coroner, or which to his knowledge it is the duty of any other person or authority to report to the coroner, or which to his knowledge has been reported to the coroner, until he has received a coroner's certificate or a notification that the coroner does not intend to hold an inquest.

Where a registrar receives a coroner's notification that he does not intend to hold an inquest in respect of a death which the registrar has already registered on the information of an informant, and the coroner certifies in that notification the cause of death as disclosed by any report on a post-mortem examination made by his direction, the registrar shall, without altering the entry of the death, enter in the margin of that entry the words “Post-mortem without inquest held by the direction of …” and the name and description of the coroner and the words “and cause of death disclosed as …” and the cause of death as certified by the coroner, and shall add his initials and the date.

If the register containing the entry is in the custody of the superintendent registrar, the registrar shall deliver the notification to the superintendent registrar, who shall enter in the margin of the entry the particulars required by paragraph (1) and add his initials and the date.

Where a registrar is informed that the death of a person who died more than 12 months previously has not been registered, the registrar shall make a report to the Registrar General stating to the best of his knowledge and belief the particulars required to be registered concerning the death, the source of his information and the name and address of any qualified informant available to give information for the registration, and shall send with the report any certificate of the cause of death and any coroner's notification that he does not intend to hold an inquest or coroner's certificate after an inquest held with reference to the death.

On receiving the Registrar General's written authority to register the death on the information of an informant, the registrar shall arrange for the informant specified in the authority to attend at his office and shall register the death in the presence of the informant; and the provisions of regulations 49 and 50 shall, subject to the modifications set out in paragraph (3), apply as they apply to the registration of a death within 12 months.

On receiving the Registrar General's authority to register a death which occurred more than 12 months previously in respect of which the registrar has received a coroner's certificate after an inquest, the registrar shall register the death; and the provisions of regulation 54 shall apply as they apply to the registration of a death within 12 months, subject to the modification that in space 10 the registrar shall, after entering the date on which the entry is made, enter the words “On the authority of the Registrar General”.

A registrar shall give a certificate for disposal on a form provided by the Registrar General, and such certificate shall embody a form of notification of disposal, for use of the person effecting the disposal, in form 12.

The period after the issue of a registrar's certificate for disposal or a coroner's order authorising the disposal of the body on the expiration of which the registrar, if he has not previously received a notification of disposal, is required under section 24(5) of the Act to make such enquiry as is therein mentioned shall be a period of 14 days from the date of the issue of the certificate or order.

Where in response to such an enquiry the registrar is informed that the body of the deceased person to whom the enquiry relates has not been disposed of, he shall, unless he is informed that the body is being held for the purposes of the Anatomy Acts 1832 and 1871 report the matter to the medical officer of health for the district in which the body is lying.

Where after such an enquiry it appears to the registrar that the body has been disposed of and notification of disposal has not been made to him within the time required by law, he shall make immediate application for such notification to the person effecting the disposal of the body, and if the notification is not received within 3 days he shall report the matter to the Registrar General.

The form of notice of marriage to be given under section 27(1) of the Marriage Act 1949 where a marriage is intended to be solemnized on the authority of a certificate of a superintendent registrar without licence shall be form 15 or, where either party to the marriage is under the age of 21 years, and not a widower or widow, form 16.

The form of notice of marriage to be given under section 27(2) of the Marriage Act 1949 where a marriage is intended to be solemnized on the authority of a certificate of a superintendent registrar by licence shall be form 17, or where either party of the marriage is under the age of 21 years, and not a widower or widow, form 18.

The form of certificate for marriage to be issued by a superintendent registrar under section 31 of the Marriage Act 1949 shall be form 20

The form of certificate and licence for marriage to be issued by a superintendent registrar under section 32 of the Marriage Act 1949 shall be form 21.

The particulars relating to a marriage required to be registered pursuant to section 55(1) of the Marriage Act 1949 shall, subject to the provisions of regulations 68 to 70, be the particulars required in Part I of form 23 and the particulars of attestation required by Part II of form 23 which are appropriate to the place and manner of solemnization.

Where a registrar is required to register a marriage pursuant to the said section 55(1), he shall register it, in the manner prescribed by law, in some part of the registered building or superintendent registrar's office where it was solemnized and according to the provisions of this Part of these regulations.

In column 3 in form 23 the registrar, if unable to ascertain the exact age of either party, shall enter an age which accords with such information in that respect as he is able to obtain, or, failing any such information, the words “of full age” or the word “minor” , as the case may be;

In column 6 in form 23, if either of the parties has removed into another district since the notice of marriage was given, the registrar shall enter the words “Late of … but now residing at …”, together with the full address of both residences;

In column 7 in form 23, if either father is deceased, the registrar shall enter the word “deceased” after the surname.

After entering the required particulars the registrar shall call upon the parties to the marriage to verify those particulars; and if it appears that any error has been made, the registrar shall thereupon in the presence of the parties make the necessary correction in the manner provided in regulation 72.

When the required particulars have been verified in accordance with paragraph (1) the registrar shall call upon the parties to sign the register in the spaces provided; and after the parties have signed the register the registrar shall call upon the witnesses to sign similarly.

The registrar shall then call upon the minister or other person, if any, or the superintendent registrar by or before whom the marriage was solemnized to sign the register in the space provided and to add his official designation or description.

The registrar shall then sign the register in the space provided and add his official description.

If it appears that an error has been made in the signature of the informant or of one of the parties or witnesses to a marriage, the signatory and not the registrar shall make the correction, and the registrar shall number the error and make an entry in the margin as provided in paragraph (1)(d).

Where it appears to the superintendent registrar or the registrar, as the case may be, that there is in any completed entry in a register of births, still-births or deaths in his custody any error or omission to which this regulation applies (in this part of these regulations called a “Class I clerical error”), he shall correct the error in the manner prescribed in regulation 72(1), (a), (b), (c) or (e), whichever is appropriate.

Where a registrar makes any correction under paragraph (1), he shall make the correction in the presence and with the concurrence of the superintendent registrar or Inspector of Registration, and shall write in the margin of the entry a note in the following form:—

Where a superintendent registrar makes a correction under paragraph (1), he shall write in the margin of corrected entry a note in the following form—

Where a registrar or a superintendent registrar is authorised by the Registrar General to correct, as if it were a Class I clerical error, a clerical error or omission of a kind other than those specified in paragraph (2), he shall correct the error or omission in the manner provided in regulation 72(1), (a), (b), (c) or (e), whichever is appropriate, and shall write in the margin of the entry a note in the following form or in such other form as the Registrar General may in any particular case direct—

On receiving the authority of the Registrar General to correct such an error, the superintendent registrar or the registrar, as the case may be, shall, in the presence of a qualified informant specified in the authority for the purpose, correct the error in the manner provided in regulation 72 (1), (a), (b), (c) or (e), whichever is appropriate.

Where any correction is made under this regulation, the superintendent registrar or the registrar, as the case may be, shall write in the margin of the entry a note in the following form —

Where it appears or is represented to a superintendent registrar or a registrar that there is an error of fact or substance in a completed entry in a register of births, still-births or deaths in his custody, not being an entry made in pursuance of a coroner's certificate after inquest, he shall send a report to the Registrar General about the alleged error, giving such information as the Registrar General may require, together with a copy of the entry, and shall comply with any particular instruction which the Registrar General may give for the purpose of verifying the facts of the case and ascertaining whether there are available two persons qualified to make a statutory declaration required by section 29(3) of the Act (which relates to the correction of errors in registers).

Where the superintendent registrar or the registrar having the custody of a register containing an entry made in pursuance of a coroner's certificate after inquest receives a certificate relating to that entry given by the coroner authorising the correction of the entry, he shall send a report to the Registrar General about the error, together with a copy of the entry and any coroner's certificate relating to the entry.

Where the error is a clerical error, the superintendent registrar or the registrar, as the case may be, shall correct the error in the manner provided in regulation 72(1), (a), (b), (c), or (e), whichever is appropriate, and shall write in the margin of the said entry a note in the following form—

Opposite the words “Name and Surname” there shall be entered the name and surname of the person as recorded in space 17 or, if there is no name and surname therein, in space 2; and if more than one surname is so recorded there shall be entered such one of those surnames as the applicant may request.

Opposite the words “Sex” and “Date of birth” respectively there shall be inserted the particulars thereof in the entry.

Opposite the words “Place of birth” there shall be inserted the name of the registration district and sub-district in which the birth was registered.

Where a person wishes to make an application for the issue of a certificate of death for the purposes of Schedule 1 to the Industrial Assurance and Friendly Societies Act 1948 (in this regulation called “the Act of 1948”) the registrar shall provide that person with a form of application supplied by the Registrar General.

A superintendent registrar or a registrar shall not issue such a certificate to an applicant unless the applicant certifies in the application that he is the child, grandchild or stepchild, within the meaning of the Act of 1948, of the person to whose death the application relates and that he is entitled to claim under an insurance taken out by him on or after 1st January 1924 on the life of that person.

Except as mentioned in paragraph (4), more than one certificate of death for the purposes of Schedule 1 to the Act of 1948 shall not be issued to the same person; and to ensure compliance with this provision every superintendent registrar and registrar shall keep a record in the form provided by the Registrar General of the number of the entry in the register in respect of which each such certificate is issued, the serial number of the certificate and the name and relationship to the deceased person of the person to whom that certificate is issued.

A superintendent registrar or a registrar who issues a duplicate certificate under this regulation in a case where it appears from the statutory declaration that an endorsement had been made on the lost or destroyed certificate by any society or company shall record on the duplicate certificate a requirement that it is to be produced to that society or company for the endorsement to be repeated on the duplicate.

Where a person wishes to make an application or present a requisition to a registrar for a certificate of any birth, death or marriage for the purposes of any enactment referred to in paragraph (2), the registrar may on request provide that person with a form of application or requisition supplied by the Registrar General—

An officer, if authorised by the clerk in a particular case, may comply with an application made to him for any purpose for which a fee is payable under any enactment notwithstanding that the fee or, in the case of a non-salaried officer, so much of the fee as is payable by him to the council, has not been paid to him and, if so directed by the clerk in the particular case, he shall not refuse to comply with such an application on the ground that the fee or, in the case of a non-salaried officer, so much of the fee as is payable by him to the council has not been paid to him.

The clerk may delegate his duties under this regulation, so far as they relate to applications made to a registrar, to the superintendent registrar within whose district that registrar has been appointed to act.

Save as provided in regulation 85, an officer shall refuse to comply with an application voluntarily made to him until there shall have been paid to him the fee chargeable or, if he is a non-salaried officer, so much of the fee as is payable by him to the council.

In any case where, in pursuance of regulation 85 an officer complies with an application without prior payment of the fee or, as the case may be, so much of the fee as is payable by him to the council, he shall report the circumstances to the council within 7 days thereafter and shall, on receiving from the council an indemnity in respect of all costs and expenses which he may incur, take such steps as the council may require to recover the fee or, as the case may be, so much of the fee as is payable by him to them.

A principal officer shall within 14 days after the expiration of each period of 3 months ending on the last day of March, June, September and December respectively render to the Registrar General on a form provided by him for the purpose an account of all fees or parts of fees for which the officer is required under any enactment to account to the Registrar General in respect of that period.

A principal officer shall also submit any special account which the Registrar General may require with respect to the said fees.

If it appears to any officer that any offence under or breach of the Act, the Population (Statistics) Act 1938 or the Marriage Act 1949 or, so far as they relate to marriages or to the registration of births, still-births and deaths, the Perjury Act 1911 or the Forgery Act 1913 has been committed, he shall report the matter to the Registrar General.(2) Save in accordance with any instructions given to him by the Registrar General, a superintendent registrar shall not commence any proceedings in respect of an offence under the Act or the Population (Statistics) Act 1938 or under section 76(1) or (2) of the Marriage Act 1949, (which relates to offences in the registration of marriage).

Save in accordance with any instructions given to him by the Registrar General, a superintendent registrar shall not commence any proceedings in respect of an offence under the Act or the Population (Statistics) Act 1938 or under section 76(1) or (2) of the Marriage Act 1949, (which relates to the offences in the registration of marriage).