General Register Office
Births Information
Version 1 June 2017Contents
Contents / Page
Background / 3
Usage / 4
Legal Requirements / 5
Data Processing & Quality Checks / 7
Years Available / 8
Variables / 10
Background
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) produces data on births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and adoptions from civil registration events which are registered with the General Register Office (GRO).
The information in relation to the registration of births and deaths is part of the data prospectus in the ADRC. The data prospectus aims to discuss the variables and information within these variables available to the research community and highlight any strengths or weaknesses of the data.
This document will cover the births data supplied by the GRO. It provides a background of the births information and the variables available.
UsageThe Births data provided by the GRO has been used within the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) since its inception. It is considered part of the study and the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland (ORECNI) has approved its use for research. As such there are no special requirements to use the data.
The data has also been approved for use within the ADRC so would not cause any delay in a project application.
Some examples of projects using the births data include:
NILS Project 065:
Is the risk of teenage pregnancy influenced by area of residence?
NILS Project 066:
Fertility in Northern Ireland 2001-2011: The Influence of Education and Migration
NILS Project 074:
Does month of birth matter? Educational, health and labour market outcomes in Northern Ireland
ADRC Project 002:
Peace Walls in Northern Ireland: developing baseline indicators
Legal RequirementsTable 1: Those who can register a birth
Individual / Notes
Parents (if parents are married) / The details of both parents can be included on the birth certificate even if only one parent is present.
Parents (if parents are unmarried) / In this case only the mother’s information will be included on the birth certificate as standard. The father’s information can only be included if they either are present at the time of the registration or if a declaration of paternity is produced.
A female couple in a civil partnership / The details of both members of the civil partnership can be included on the birth certificate even if only one member is present.
A female couple not in a civil partnership / In this case only the mother’s information will be included on the birth certificate as standard. Their partner’s information can only be included if they satisfy the agreed female parenthood conditions as set out in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. In this case both members of the civil partnership must be present at the time of the registration.
Grandfather, grandmother, uncle or aunt of the baby who has knowledge of the birth
Any person present at the birth
Any person having charge of the child
The occupier of the premises where the baby was born
Years Available
Years Available - continued
Table 3: Available information for variable
1974 to 1975 / 1976 to 1996 / 1997 to 2001 / 2002 to 2004 / 2005 to 2010 / 2010 onwardsGROBID
REGYR
REGMONTH
REGCOUN
OCCYR
OCCMONTH
HMEADDCO
POB
POB05
OUTSIDENI
SEX
FAGE
MAGE
TOTALPREV
TSB
TLB
MLB
MB
MARSTATOFPARENTS
DUROFMARR*
PREVMARR
SOCIALCL
SOCIALCL01
FEMPSTAT
MEMPSTAT
EMPSTAT
EMPSTATNEW
MEMPSTATNEW
FEMPTSTATNEW
MOCCCDE
FOCCCDE
MSOCCLASS
FSOCLASS
SOA2001
XUPRN
Variables
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
Variables - continued
10