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WQ.85/2018
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS BY DEPUTY C.S. ALVES OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 26th JUNE 2018
Question
Will the Minister state what increases there will be in marriage fees following the implementation of the Marriage and Civil Status (Amendment No. 4) (Jersey) Law 2018 on 1st July 2018; and if the fees are to be increased, will he explain the rationale for the increases?
Answer
In December 2016, the States Assembly adopted the Medium Term Financial Plan (P.68/2016) which set out that, by end 2019, the the Office of the Superintendent Registrar should be self-funding through user- pays charges. As set out in the Annex to P.68/2016, the Community and Constitutional Affairs Department – which includes the Office of the Superintendent Registrar – would revise user pays charges to ensure that the clients of specific services meet the full costs of providing those services'. Furthermore, in February 2018, the States Assembly adopted the Draft Marriage and Civil Status (Jersey) Law (P.91/2017, as amended), which set out that there would be increases in fees in relation to the services provided by the Superintendent Registrar.
The revised fees, as set out in Appendix 1, come into force on 1 July 2018. However, where a couple have already booked their wedding with the Superintendent Registrar and that wedding is to take place between 1 July 2018 and 31 December 2018, the existing fees will be maintained and the new fees will not apply.
Under the new fees, for some couples there will be no increase at all, whereas for others there may be an increase of up to £220. The total fees paid by a couple will vary depending on the day and time of the ceremony, whether it is a registry office wedding and whether the Superintendent Registrar solemnizes the marriage. Whilst fees have increased for some services to reflect the amount of work required, there will be lower charges for registry office marriages. In addition, all registry office weddings will now be allocated a one-hour period, as opposed to the current 30-minute slot, which often results in overlaps, delays or overruns. For completeness, it should be noted that the fees charged by the Anglican Church in Jersey range from £516 to £721.
Marriage fees represent a small percentage of the average overall cost of wedding, which is estimated as being between £18,000 to £27,000.
APPENDIX 1
- Giving notice
Service | Amended fee | Current | Rationale |
Giving notice | £200 | £70 - £200 | Levelled up Better reflects cost of service provision |
Changes to notice | £50 | £70 | Reduced Better reflects cost of service provision |
- Marriage schedule and certificates
Service | Amended fee | Current | Rationale |
Issuing of marriage schedule and certificates (includes 2 marriage certificates and payment to Parish Registrar) | £300 | £130 - £230 for license plus £80 to Parish Registrar for all documents including 2 x marriage certificates = £210 to £310 | |
Better reflects cost of service provision | |||
- Supplementary fee for use of Registry office venue
Service | Amended fee | Current | Rationale |
Weddings taking place Monday to Friday | £20 | £65 | |
Provide cost-effective venue for couples during working week | |||
Weddings taking place (weekend and bank holiday) | £100 | £65 | |
Additional costs incurred with opening office outside the standard working week | |||
- Fee for Registry office official to solemnize wedding
Service | Amended fee | Current | Rationale |
At Registry Office – Monday to Friday | £0 | £70 - £80 working week | Reduced Provide lower cost option for couples. |
At registry office – Weekend and bank holiday | £100 | £80 - £100 | |
Cost of service provision is the same regardless of who solemnizes the marriage. | |||
- Special circumstances marriage
Service | Amended fee | Current | Rationale |
Amendments to schedules, books, certificates required as a result of emergency or unforeseen circumstances. | £75 | N/A | |
| |||
SR required to attend incapacitated/detained individual for signing of Freedom to marry, identify checks etc. | £50 | N/A | |
| |||
- Certificate of no impediment for marriage outside Jersey
Service | Amended fee/new fee | Current | Rationale |
Issue of CNI | £100 per applicant | £65 | Increased Better reflects cost of service provision |
- Conversion of civil partnership to marriage
Service | Amended fee/new fee | Current | Rationale |
Application for conversion | £0 (for 2 years after date amended law comes into force) | N/A | New fee as new provision |
Issue of declaration form and marriage certificates | £0 (for 2 years after date amended law comes into force) | N/A | New fee as new provision |
Marriage by conversion (administrative route) | £0 (for 2 years after date amended law comes into force) | N/A | New fee as new provision |