Most Customers want to Know: PDF pilot phase 1
Q6. Which records does the PDF pilot cover?
The PDF pilot covers birth, death, marriage and civil partnerships which occurred in England and Wales. Different records will be available in PDF format dependent on the pilot phase running at that time:
Pilot phase 1 (approx. three week duration)
PDF copies of those civil registration records that are held by GRO in a digital format (i.e. birth entries recorded 1837 - 1934 and death entries recorded 1837 - 1957, in addition to those much more recent events captured electronically at point of registration, which include birth and death records registered 2007 onwards, civil partnership records registered December 2005 onwards, and marriages registered 2011 onwards). These PDFs will cost £6.
Pilot phase 2 (approx. three week duration)
PDF copies of all birth, death, marriage and civil partnership records, within 3 hours. These PDFs will cost £45.
Pilot phase 3 (approx. four week duration)
PDF copies of those civil registration entries that are not held by GRO in a digital format. These PDFs will cost £8.
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/PDF_most_customers_want_to_know.aspCan order a pdf direct from new index by clicking a button. Afterwards continued shopping and was returned to the old order page, I didn't bother working to the new index and just typed in year, quarter Vol & page as have always done then selected pdf rather than paper before placing order. I won't be participating in Phase 2 at £45 a copy! Phase 3 where can order Marriage pdf's could stimulate interest marriage location, residence, occupation and fathers names & occupations within the week.
The reason why can't pay to view immediately as in Scotland & Northern Ireland is "
Current legislation in England and Wales does not permit the register entries (certificate information) to be made available online" Is a shame after several years of back & forth within the Houses failed to get appropriate wording.
GRO Help info states "Prices are set at assessed cost recovery levels under Her Majesty's Treasury rules - and these differ according to the pilot phase. The pilot will be used to confirm costs if deciding to offer the service on a permanent basis."
I would point out that the fees £6 / £8 / £45 are identical to those documented in the
The Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships Records Regulations 2016 legislation (effective 7th November 2016) and to quote Lord Wallace of Saltaire during previous parliamentary discussion of the Deregulation Bill (Nov 2014) "specifying the fee cap within the clause hinders a regular review of fee levels, as any resultant changes would require further amendment to primary legislation". An explanatory footnote to the Regulations even states that "the impact of [the new] regulations...will be tested by way of pilot to inform an Impact Assessment".
So way I see price is not really discounted during the trial phases and the £45 for a 3 hour copy is likely to feature in Heir Hunters (though as a pdf will have 'no "evidential" value' perhaps they will have to subsequently order a paper copy before presenting for Bona Vacantia).
