Up until 1983, the copies received by the Registrar General were bound into volumes and three separate alphabetical indexes were prepared on a quarterly basis.
An exception was where the Registrar General has waived the notice period because one member of the couple was seriously ill and not expected to recover.
The information was to be held by the Registrar General, who would compile a preliminary report within five months and a full report as soon as practicable.
A Registrar General was appointed with overall responsibility and the country was divided into registration districts, each controlled by a superintendent registrar.