Registration of Stillbirths Bill | TrackPolitics

Registration of Stillbirths Bill

A Bill to amend the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 to provide that parents may register the death of a child stillborn before the threshold of 24 weeks gestation.

Originating House

House of Commons

Last Updated

15 May 2014

In Plain English

AI-generated

This Bill would change the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 to let parents register the death of a child who is stillborn before reaching 24 weeks of gestation. That means very early stillbirths could have an official entry in the civil register, providing families with a formal record and recognition of their loss.

Key Points

Amends the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 to allow registration of stillbirths before 24 weeks.
Enables parents to register their stillborn baby’s death, creating an official civil record.
Provides formal recognition of very early pregnancy loss for families.
May require changes to how civil registration offices handle and process these registrations.

Progress

The bill is currently at the 2nd reading in the Commons. If it progresses, it will move to committee stage and subsequent readings before becoming law.

Who is affected?

Parents and families experiencing stillbirth before 24 weeks gestationCivil registration officers and local registration officesHealthcare professionals supporting bereaved familiesBereavement support organisations and charities

Generated 21 February 2026

Updates & Documents

News (1)

News - Registration of Stillbirths

1 Jan 1970

The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress.

Documents (1)

Bill 153 2013-14 (as introduced)

BillCommons

21 Feb 2014

Parliamentary Votes (0)

No recorded votes for this bill yet.