Found this on my Suffolk rootsweb line. I want to thank the wonderful Town Clerk that I dealt with in the New HAven Co. area. She was so prompt and so kind...even gave me some unasked for leads. She actually was interested in helping me find lost family connections. I never had any problems. Deb Glantz Hanna [email protected] [email protected] rsching: Glantz (Glans, Soderlund), Hanna (h),Ives, Stocking, Merrill, Grinell, Ford, Hall, Spencer, Perkins, Gillett, Yale, Hunt, Kinney, Borden,etc. ----- Original Message ----- From: mdriver <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 6:57 AM Subject: Government white paper re BMD records and others > I have just read this on another list and thought it might be of interest > > Maggie Driver > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- > --------------------- > > The UK Government has just published its White Paper on reform of the > registration service, which proposes changes which will be of great > interest to family historians. The most important of these concerns > access to the 'historic' birth, marriage and death records: > > "The Government has concluded that historic records should be defined > as those relating to > people born over 100 years ago and that these should be made fully > available to the public ... As > records move to the over 100 year old category they would be classed > as historic and as such > become open records." > > (Note: It's interesting that this definition doesn't apply to the > date of the record, but to the date of birth of the person concerned. > Will this mean that access to marriage and death records depends on > how old the individuals were at the time?) > > > The report also suggests that scanned images of the BMD records > should be made available in electronic form, recognising that 'that > this would be of great value particularly to the genealogical > community as the current system only allows access to indexes that > are not widely available ... The Government would support > not-for-profit organisation(s)investing in introducing electronic > access to these records.' > > Furthermore ... > > 'The original registers currently held at Register Offices are > important historic documents and will be transferred to the local > Record Office for preservation. The local Record Office will be able > to offer access to the public ...' > > > And when will all this happen? > > "The Government acknowledges that it is unrealistic to expect that > all records will be electronically available initially ... The length > of this transitional period is hard to estimate.The Government > believes that it should not be longer than 5 years and, hopefully, > shorter. The computerisation of registration records has significant > financial consequences,notably for local service providers' > [registrars?]. 'A clear implementation strategy with well published > mile stones will greatly assist them in planning for the loss of > certificate revenue.' > > > There's lots more that's likely to have an impact on family > historians, including the creation of a national database of BMD data > for people under 70 years old, and changes to the way that births, > marriages and deaths are recorded. The full report can be downloaded > in Adobe Acrobat format from: > > http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm53/5355/cm5355.htm > > > Brett Langston > The Family History Society of Cheshire > http://www.fhsc.org.uk/ > >