Overview

This bill proposes the creation of a "certificate of loss" for mothers who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth where the child is not eligible for registration under current law. The certificate will provide official recognition of the loss and a national database will be created to store these certificates and relevant information.

Description

Certificate of Loss

The bill mandates that registrars issue certificates of loss upon written request from a parent who has experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth, provided a medical professional confirms the pregnancy loss. The certificate includes the child's gestational age (if available), parents' names, and date of loss. The Secretary of State can specify additional information to be included.

Database

A publicly accessible database will be established to store these certificates of loss. The database will also record the cause of the miscarriage or stillbirth, if known.

Registrar Designation

The Secretary of State will designate a body to act as the registrar for this process.

Legal Definitions

The bill defines "miscarried child" and "still-born child," covering various scenarios involving fetal loss and expulsion.

Commencement

The certificate issuance section will come into effect twelve months after the bill's passage, with other provisions effective immediately.

Geographical Scope

The bill applies to England and Wales only.

Government Spending

The bill will incur costs associated with establishing and maintaining the database, training registrars, and processing applications for certificates. Specific figures are not provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

This bill primarily affects parents who experience miscarriage or stillbirth, providing them with official recognition of their loss. The bill also impacts medical professionals who will be involved in confirming pregnancy loss and the designated registrar responsible for issuing certificates and managing the database.

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