Citation and commencement

1.-(1) These regulations may be cited as the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Amendment) Regulations 1974 and shall come into operation on 1st April 1974.

(2) These regulations, the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Regulations 1968(1), the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Amendment) Regulations 1969(2), the Marriage (Registrar General's Licence) Regulations 1970(3) and the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Amendment) Regulations 1971(4) shall be construed as one and may be cited together as the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Regulations 1968 to 1974.

Interpretation

2.-(1) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, "the principal regulations" means the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Regulations 1968 as amended(5) .

(2) The Interpretation Act 1889 shall apply to the interpretation of these regulations as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of Parliament.

Amendment of Principal Regulations

3.-(1) In regulation 2(1)-

(a)in the definition of "borough" the words "county borough or a" shall be omitted;

(b)the definition of "clerk" shall be omitted;

(c)in the definition of "council" for the word "county" in both places where it occurs there shall be substituted the words "non-metropolitan county, metropolitan district";

(d)in the definition of "local scheme" for the word "county" there shall be substituted the words "non-metropolitan county, metropolitan district";

(e)after the definition of "principal officer" there shall be inserted the following definition-

-�-�"proper officer" means the officer appointed by the council for the purposes of the Registration Service Act 1953;'.' means the officer appointed by the council for the purposes of the Registration Service Act 1953;'.

(2) In regulation 5-

(a)in paragraph (a)-

(i)sub-paragraph (iv) shall be omitted and sub-paragraphs (v) and (vi) shall be re-numbered "(iv)" and "(v)" respectively, and

(ii)after sub-paragraph (v) as re-numbered the following sub-paragraph shall be added-"(vi) if he is an officer or servant of the council appointed by them to exercise the functions of the proper officer;";

(b)in paragraph (c), after the word "coroner" the following shall be added "or is an officer or servant of a local authority employed by them in the performance of duties relating to their functions as a burial authority.".

(3) In regulation 7 for the word "clerk" in both places where it occurs there shall be substituted the words "proper officer".

(4) In regulation 8(1)-

(a)for the word "clerk" where it first occurs there shall be substituted the words "proper officer";

(b)for sub-paragraph (v) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph-

"(v)the council of every non-metropolitan district, parish and community wholly or partly situated in the district;";

(c)in sub-paragraph (vii) after the word "persons" there shall be inserted the words "or bodies".

(5) In regulation 85 for the word "clerk" wherever it occurs there shall be substituted the words "proper officer".

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Regulations 1968. The amendment of Regulation 2 modifies the definition of words and phrases used in these Regulations in order to comply with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70). The amendments of Regulations 5, 7, 8 and 85 remove all references to the clerk of the council and substitute a reference to the proper officer.