Whether it is permissible for private businesses to fund the employment of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.

There is no provision in the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 allowing for the private funding of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.Under Section 7 of the 1965 Act, every local registration authority (which is also the local authority) shall appoint an appropriately qualified district registrar of births, deaths and marriages for their registration district. A local authority may also appoint additional district, senior and assistant registrars of births, deaths and marriages, for its registration district as it considers necessary. The local authority must consult the Registrar General under the 1965 Act when appointing additional district and senior registrars.Section 17 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 permits the Registrar General for Scotland to appoint as many district registrars as is thought necessary for the purpose of affording reasonable facilities for the solemnisation of civil marriages throughout Scotland. The Registrar General may also appoint assistant registrars to districts where a district registrar has been appointed under Section 17. Under the 1977 Act, only district registrars and assistant registrars employed by the local registration authority may conduct civil marriages in Scotland.