Published on:
31
December 2008
Each January, the local Registrar in Alloa provides a review of Service activity for the previous twelve months. The opportunity is taken to comment on some of the registration facts which may be of topical community interest.
Regaining its place as favourite name for baby boys is Jack. This was closely followed by Lewis and Logan. All three names have been amongst the Clackmannanshire favourites for over eight years now. For girls, Emily, Leah, Olivia, and Sophie all tied for first place.
The trend in Scotland is upwards - and Clackmannanshire mirrors that trend. Locally there were 289 boys and 261 girls born 2008. The total of 550 is a 26.4% increase over the last two years.
There were seven sets of twins born in the area last year (four sets of boys and three sets of boy/girl babies).
Numbers remain fairly static - down by three to a total of 176. The proportion of civil (as opposed to religious) marriages is still increasing, however: civil weddings now account for 60% of the total, a great increase from the 36% figure reported back in 2001. Part of the reason for the change here is the much greater freedom that Registrars now have to accommodate the preferences of couples.
There were five civil partnerships registered in Clackmannanshire in 2008.
Numbers are up slightly from 2007. In 2008 there were 520 death registrations. Unfortunately, deaths as a result of road traffic accidents rose from one in 2007 to four in 2008.
Citizenship Ceremonies mark the final stage in the process of an individual becoming a British Citizen. Registrars conduct the ceremonies for those individuals approved by the Home Office. Clackmannanshire provided ceremonies for, and welcomed, 15 new British Citizens in 2008 - ten less than the previous year.
Derek Stewart, Clackmannanshire's Provost commented: "This has been another year of change for our Registrars. New legislation continues to have an impact, and Lindsay Todd took over the reigns as District Registrar from Irene Johnston, our District Registrar for ten years.
The Registration of life events is a very specialist service and its importance should not be overlooked. The work of our Registrars, from providing key life documents to building a statistical picture of the people of Scotland, it is important to us all. The Registration team also carry out official changes of name, adoption records, parental orders, and the provision of ceremonies for child naming and for the renewal of marriage commitments. With the help of the staff, we have made this one of the best registration service delivery points in Scotland."
Rod Richardson (Principal Administration Officer) commented: "Clackmannanshire can be justifiably proud of the continuing high level of service that our Registrars provide. The Team is continually looking at ways to accommodate the needs and preferences of those who use the service, and feedback this year has again shown how well their efforts are received.
People can now register life events anywhere in Scotland rather than being forced to visit their local office. With that in mind, parents who live in the area are reminded that, regardless of where their new baby is born, they can still register the new arrival in Clackmannanshire.
The increasing number of couples who travel from overseas and come to this area for their wedding confirms that Clackmannanshire holds a great attraction for many. And, as always, it is an honour to be entrusted with the key central part of the special day for so many couples.
The coming year is shaping up to be another challenging period, and our staff are looking forward to the chance of contributing to the programme of events across Scotland which will be related to Homecoming 2009, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, and the contribution of Scots people across the world over the years. "
The Registrar (Lindsey Todd) can be contacted at Marshill House, Marshill, Alloa
(Fax/tel. 01259 - 723850) e-mail: registration@clacks.gov.uk