Availability of GRO indexes

[Forfarian]

Does anyone know whether and if so when the indexes to England and Wales BMDs after 2005 might become available to consult?

[KGarrad]

They are already available - just not online!

Quoting from the GRO.gov.uk websitr:

You can also search for index reference numbers for free at:

    Library of Birmingham
    Bridgend Local and Family History Centre
    City of Westminster Archives Centre
    Manchester Central Library
    Newcastle City Library
    Plymouth Central Library
    The British Library (you’ll need to register first)

These are the only complete copies of the full sets of index reference numbers. They’re on microfiche.

[Forfarian]

Thanks, KGarrad. Not sure that's quite what I wanted to hear, but any information is better than none 

[KGarrad]

Plus, I seem to remember hearing that no more indexes were to be made available to the likes of Ancestry, FindMyPast, FreeBMD etc.

Damned if I can find the article now?!

EDIT: A reply to a Freedom of Information Request:
(see: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/gro_birth_marriages_and_deaths_d)

The GRO indexes were made available to purchase in 1985. At that time GRO believed that it was in the public interest to provide annual index information directly to customers. In 2002, the Registrar General relaxed the conditions of sale which subsequently permitted holders of the annual index to make the public information more available if it was over 100 years old ie available on the internet. The conditions of sale were further relaxed in 2003 to include index information less than 100 years old.
GRO continued to sell index data in good faith in the belief that the law supported these arrangements. Legal advice obtained in 2006 indicated that there was no clear legal basis for providing this information. Given this advice, customers of the service were notified during 2006 that the service was being withdrawn.
The Registrar General has a statutory responsibility to make the indexes available to the public free of charge for searching purposes and this duty is currently discharged via the 7 host sites across England and Wales.

[Forfarian]

Plus, I seem to remember hearing that no more indexes were to be made available to the likes of Ancestry, FindMyPast, FreeBMD etc.

That is what I feared.

[dawnsh]

I posted this a couple of years ago

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=733264.msg5786533#msg5786533

Hopes were raised when the GRO provided access online to the historic birth and death indexes that they may reconsider their position and provide their own access to the indexes after 2007, but we will have to wait and see how that develops.