Overview

This bill proposes issuing certificates to mothers who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth where the child is ineligible for registration under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953. It also establishes a national database to archive these certificates and record relevant information.

Description

Certificate of Loss

The bill mandates the issuance of a "certificate of loss" upon written request from a mother who has experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth, provided a medical professional confirms the pregnancy and loss. The certificate will include information such as the child's age (if available), parent(s)' names, and the date of the miscarriage or stillbirth. The Secretary of State may specify additional information to be included via regulations.

Database

A publicly accessible database will be created to archive these certificates and record the cause of loss, if known. The Secretary of State will, through regulations, designate a body to act as the registrar responsible for issuing certificates and managing the database.

Legal Definitions

The bill defines "miscarried child" and "still-born child" to include instances where the child is expelled or removed from the mother's body without signs of life, regardless of cause (natural causes or mother’s choice). "Written request" is defined as a written request on a specified form, confirmed by a medical professional.

Implementation

The bill will apply to England and Wales. The certificate issuance section comes into effect one year after the bill is passed, while the other sections take effect immediately.

Government Spending

The bill does not specify any direct figures for government spending, however, costs will be incurred in establishing and maintaining the national database, and in the administration of the certificate issuance process. The precise amount will depend on the scale of the database and administrative procedures.

Groups Affected

The bill directly affects:

• Mothers who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth: They will be able to obtain official recognition of their loss.
• Medical professionals: They will be involved in verifying pregnancies and losses, and potentially providing additional information for the certificates.
• Registrars: They will be responsible for issuing certificates and managing the database.
• The Secretary of State: Responsible for setting regulations for the database and specifying additional information.

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