Overview

This bill aims to provide mothers who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth with a formal certificate acknowledging their loss. Currently, these losses aren't always officially registered if the pregnancy didn't reach a certain gestational age. The bill establishes a system for issuing certificates and creating a database to record these events.

Description

The Certificate of Loss Bill mandates the issuance of a "certificate of loss" to mothers who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth, provided that a medical professional confirms the pregnancy and loss. The certificate will include the age of the child (if known), the parents' names, and the date of the miscarriage or stillbirth. Additional information, as specified by the Secretary of State, may also be included. A publicly accessible database will store these certificates and relevant details, such as the cause of loss (if known). The Secretary of State will designate a body to act as the registrar for this process and Parliamentary approval is needed for any regulations implemented under this act.

Key Features:

• Provides official recognition of miscarriages and stillbirths not currently registered.
• Creates a national database to archive certificates and related information.
• Requires medical confirmation of the miscarriage or stillbirth for certificate issuance.
• Allows for the inclusion of additional information in the certificate as determined by the Secretary of State.

Government Spending

The bill does not specify the exact cost. However, government spending will be incurred to establish and maintain the database, and to administer the issuance of certificates. The exact figures would depend on factors such as the number of applications, the resources required for database development and maintenance, and the staffing needed. Further details on this would be available within future government budget documents.

Groups Affected

This bill primarily affects:

• Mothers who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth: They will receive official recognition of their loss through a certificate, potentially offering comfort and closure.
• Medical professionals: They will be involved in confirming the pregnancy loss and providing relevant information for the certificate.
• Government bodies: The relevant departments will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the database and implementing the regulations.

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