Explanatory note

These Regulations consolidate with minor amendments the Registration of Births, Still-births and Deaths (Welsh Language) Regulations 1969, and subsequent amending regulations which are revoked.

The Regulations prescribe forms in English and Welsh for use in Wales in place of forms prescribed under the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations 1987 (“the 1987 Regulations”) which are in English only (regulations 2 and 8 and Schedule 2) and they specify the conditions for the registration of births and deaths in Welsh as well as English (regulations 4–6) and the form of Welsh wording to be used (regulations 3 and Schedule 3). Provision is also made for the correction of errors in birth and death entries (regulation 7); for the issue of short certificates of birth for births which occurred in Wales (regulation 8); and for the English text to prevail in the case of any discrepancy (regulation 9). A change of substance is made in regulation 6 (registration of deaths occurring in Wales) the form of the certificate of cause of death, and of the related notice, prescribed by the 1987 Regulations may be used where the certificate is issued in England but the place of death is in Wales. In addition provision is made for a certified copy made on a bilingually printed form to be treated as a true copy of the original entry notwithstanding that the original was in English only (regulation 10).