New legislation has allowed North Lanarkshire Council to change the requirements for registering deaths and still births.

These can now be registered remotely without need for face to face interviews.

A council spokesperson said: “We are currently working through the postponed registrations as quickly as possible.  If you have already contacted one of the registration offices then a member of staff will be in contact.

“The outstanding registrations are being completed in numerical order once all the appropriate information has been received and the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) has been checked.”

For new registers, GPs or hospital doctors are responsible for emailing death certificates to the registrar.

It is advised that such certificates should include details of a family member or funeral director and if not done so it is the responsibility of the relative or funeral director to contact the registry office.

Once the email is received by the registration officers the process can begin and may require more than one phone call to complete.

Only the local office should be contacted as sending details to more than one office will only delay the process.

Birth registrations are on hold until further notice and the 21 day registration period is no longer in effect.

All marriage and civil partnership ceremonies are postponed.

For further information contact your local office. The phone number for Airdrie is 01236 758080, Cumbernauld is 01236 632740 and Motherwell can be contacted on 01698 302206.

The email addresses are registrars-airdrie@northlan.gov.uk, registrars-cumbernauld@northlan.gov.uk and registrars-motherwell@northlan.gov.uk.