were in respect of persons under 20 years of age. The age group with the highest number of post-registration was the 10-14 group, reflecting the demand for birth certificates for school purposes.
116. The 1,404 births post-registered at the urban district Registries were partly in respect of cases where the parents had neglected to register the birth, and partly in respect of cases where the birth was believed to have been registered, but owing to the loss during the war of the register in question and also of the birth certificate issued at the time, no record of the birth was extant.
117. During the year post-registration birth certificates were issued for 70 foundling children in various orphanages, baby homes, and charitable institutions whose births had not been registered on admis- sion. In order to ensure the proper registration of foundlings, a joint meeting was held on 13th July 1962 at the General Register Office with representatives of the Police, the Social Welfare Department, the Po Leung Kuk, the Fanling Babies' Home and St. Christopher's Home, and a standard procedure was agreed..
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Re-registration of Births and Deaths
118. The Births Registration (Special Registers) Ordinance (Cap. 175), and the Deaths Registration (Special Registers) Ordinance (Cap. 176), provide for the re-registration of births and deaths recorded in registers destroyed or lost during the Japanese occupation. 139 births and one death were re-registered during the year. Altogether 5,066 births and 65 deaths have now been re-registered under these two Ordinances.
Prosecutions
119. As a result of information given to the Police by the Registry eleven prosecutions were undertaken, mostly in respect of false declara- tions made in relation to births. All the accused were convicted, and fines up to $250 were imposed.
Adoptions
120. An Adopted Children Register is maintained at the General Register Office under the Adoption Ordinance, 1956. During the year 173 adoptions were registered, bringing to 750 the total number of adoptions registered since the first entry was made on 22nd July 1957 up to 31st March 1962. Table XXIX shows the relationship of adopters to the 700 children adopted under the Adoption Ordinance up to 31st
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